Zootopia: The Tail of Jack Hopps
by DamianKastle
Summary: While responding to a call about a possible intruder, Judy Hopps and her partner Nick Wilde discover something quite unusual; a strange, fleshy creature neither of them had seen before AKA a human baby boy. After a long debate over what to do with him, Judy offers to adopt him and gives him the name Jack Hopps. Now Jack must face the challenges of being the sole human in Zootopia.
1. Chapter 1

**Zootopia: The Tail of Jack Hopps**

 **Chapter 1**

The wail of the police siren echoed through the practically empty roads of Zootopia while the flashing red and blue lights illuminated the shadows that arrived as soon as it became nighttime. As some nocturnal predators and prey walked up and down the sidewalks, happy to be up and about for once, the police car whose siren was currently on zoomed down the street.

Inside it were the ZPD's newest and best cops; Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, who was currently behind the wheel as they made their way towards their destination.

"Ok, we're almost there." Judy informed her partner.

"Great, but uh… you mind if I ask a question?" Nick inquired.

"Sure, go ahead." Judy shrugged, casually.

"Exactly _why_ are we going to a _flower shop_ in the middle of the night again? I forgot." The fox admitted.

The bunny's face fell flat before she sighed and face palmed in annoyance. "Nick, were you even paying attention to what Bogo was saying?"

"Of course not." Nick replied.

Judy groaned, aggravated. "Well, to recap; Bogo said that they got a call about a supposed intruder at a ferret's flower shop in Savvana Central and since most of the other officers are asleep, he picked _us_." Judy stated. "Ring a bell?"

"Vaguely, yes." Nick nodded. "And you know… I think he's actually starting to warm up to me."

"Not unless you keep _acting_ like you're paying attention during the briefings." Judy pointed out. "And if it looks like he's gonna yell at you for it, don't count on _me_ to save you."

"Ah, relax, you know me, I got it under control." Nick assured her, confidently. "Besides, I have full confidence that even if that _were_ to happen you'd save me anyway."

The bunny raised a brow. "Oh? You think so?"

"Yep." Nick smiled. "Don't forget; I know _you_ pretty well too."

Judy couldn't help but smile at that before refocusing her attention back on the road. "Ok, let's go over what were gonna do once we get there,"

"Which _is_ …?"

"If there _is_ an intruder, we stay quiet, try to sneak up on him or her and if it looks like we're out of our league we call for backup."

"And if there _isn't_ … we go home and catch a movie?"

Judy's face fell again. " _No_. We check to see what made the ferret think it was an intruder."

"Right, even better…" Nick said, sarcastically.

"Just be on guard if there _is_ one." Judy told him.

Nick saluted her. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good." Judy said, pleased as she stepped on the pedal and zoomed faster towards their destination.

* * *

The pair soon parked their squad car in front of the shop and approached the door before knocking on it. The owner of the flower shop, which also appeared to be a home as well, a ferret, opened the door a crack and was a bit startled when he saw the two cops.

"Hello sir, I'm Officer Hopps, this is my partner Officer Wilde, we're here about the possible intrusion of your shop?" Judy said.

"Oh! Yes! Thank goodness you've come!" The ferret breathed in relief as he opened the door fully for them, so that they could enter.

"So, sir, when did you first suspect that there was an intruder where you worked?" Judy inquired, taking out a notepad and her carrot pen.

"And _sleep_ , apparently…" Nick added as he held up an apparently smelly shirt with a disgusted look on his mug.

"Uh, yes, um… right around the time I started hearing… very odd noises." The flower shop owner revealed.

Judy tilted her head a bit in surprise. "Noises? What noises?"

Then a strange noise was then heard in another part of the store, spooking them all and making them turn in the direction of yet, but none of them could pinpoint _exactly_ where the sound was coming from, not even Judy with her super hearing, due to the shop being full of echoes.

"Uh… you all heard that too… right?" Nick inquired.

"What was _that_?" Judy wondered.

"That's the noise I was telling you about!" The ferret said, panicky.

More sounds then began to go off all over the shop, and as they continued, Judy and Nick's uneasiness grew and no amount of words or comfort could stop either of them from shaking fearfully.

Suddenly, loud wails met Judy and Nick's ears, surprising them both her greatly.

"What the…?" Nick remarked

Judy then listened closely. "Is that a… _baby_?"

Nick turned to the ferret. "Uh… you sure someone didn't leave their baby here by accident when you were closing up?"

"No! There-there wasn't _anything_ here, or _anyone_! No baby, _nothing_!" The ferret stated, fearfully. "Besides, who would leave behind a baby, anyway? Huh?"

"Can't argue with _that_ logic." Nick admitted.

"Then… how did a baby _get here_?" Judy asked.

"I don't know! Honest!" The shop owner insisted. "Like I said; those noises just came out of nowhere!"

"Noises don't just appear out of nowhere…" Judy muttered as she began thinking. "So who or what could have…"

"Ok, I can't believe I'm saying this, but uh… instead of contemplating it, why don't we go actually see what it is?" Nick offered.

"Good idea. Come on." Judy said as she began to lead the way with Nick following her close behind.

* * *

Judy and Nick soon found themselves in a part of the store where the more exotic flowers were kept, with moonlight shining on some of them from the small windows. Judy glanced around but saw no one around.

"Uh… hello?" she called out. There was no answer, for some reason the cries had stopped. "Anybody here?"

The bunny continued to gaze around, cautiously minding her surroundings. While the crying seemed to have stopped she knew deep in her heart, that it the source of it was close by. They crept slowly and quickly while turning their heads left and right while holding their breath, not wanting to scare whatever it was off without knowing what it was just yet.

"Uh… carrots?" Nick spoke up.

"Yeah?" Judy responded.

"Isn't this usually the part… where the psycho killer appears from behind and _kills_ someone?"

"Nick, that's a _movie_ , this is _real_."

"Which only makes it _worse_."

"Oh, stop being a baby…"

The cries suddenly restarted once more, startling them and causing them to freeze up the second they heard it.

"Sure I can't be scared _now_?" Nick inquired, nervous.

Judy began to use her ears to pinpoint the sound till eventually she turned to Nick. "It's coming from over there," she whispered as she began to move on ahead with Nick following her and nibbling at his claws.

The two went around another corner and right away they both spotted something at the very end of the path; a small wooden basket just sitting there between two plants.

"Now what do we have here?" Judy muttered to herself, as she approached the basket.

Once she got close enough and stopped at the basket she could hear the cries coming from the basket clearly and could also see something small, roughly about the size of a kit or another small animal, with four limbs wiggling around and crying underneath what appeared to be a blanket.

"Uh… is there something _alive_ under there?" Nick remarked.

"Well… the crying _is_ coming from it so…" Judy began as she slowly reached for the blanket and pulled it off wiggling creature and she and Nick were greatly surprised by what they found underneath.

The creature had absolutely no fur, except for the small amount of top of its head and had pink skin. It also possessed a small muzzle, blue eyes and had _five_ fingers on the end of each of its paws. The creature also only wore a single diaper and she assumed it to be a male due to observation though neither wasn't fully sure.

The two cop didn't have a clue what to do or what to make of the situation, especially Judy, she was completely lost in thought while the little creature before her just blinked at her with a blank expression of its face.

Judy continued to stare at the creature befuddled and he continued to stare stared back at her.

"Ok… I give up, what _is_ that?" Nick asked, pointing at the creature.

"I have no idea… I've never seen a mammal like this before." Judy admitted.

"If it _is_ a mammal." Nick pointed out.

"Something tells me that he _is_ …" Judy mused as she got closer to the creature.

"Careful! We don't know if it bites!" Nick warned her.

"It's a _he_ , Nick." Judy told him, firmly. "And look at him; he doesn't have any teeth. I _really_ don't think he's dangerous."

"Looks can be deceiving." Nick reminded her.

Judy ignored him and locked eyes with the creature before waving and smiling a nervous smile. "Uh… hi there!" she said. The creature just blinked at her and didn't responded. "What are you _doing_ here? _How_ did you get here? Can you understand me?"

It became quickly apparent to Judy that the creature could not talk, only babble unintelligibly at her. . The duo exchanged confused looks before Judy reached forward and tickled his belly with one of her fingers, making him laugh again, which made her laugh also.

"He's so soft and… squishy." Judy remarked.

"Of course he is, he doesn't have any _fur_." Nick pointed out. "And you thought the animals at the _Naturalist Club_ were naked. _This_ … this is just disturbing."

"Nick, don't be like that." Judy scolded before glancing at the smiling little creature again, fondly.

"But Carrots, we don't know what he even _is_. He could be… radioactive, or something." Nick said.

"You ready way too many comics." Judy rolled her eyes.

"So, what's your point?" Nick inquired, not getting it.

Judy resumed staring at the creature again and as she did so, a familiar feeling began to resonate within her, along with a certain memory; the memory of seeing yet another batch of new baby siblings gazing up at her just like this creature was. It was then that she gained a good idea of what they were dealing with.

"I think… I think it's a baby of some kind," she realized.

"A baby?" Nick echoed, surprised before looking at the little creature again, who seemed to look at him curiously. "Well, that would explain the diaper. Which I am not changing by the way."

"Oh, grow up." Judy said, rolling her eyes in annoyance before gaining a look of concern on her face. "I wonder where his parent's are…?"

Nick then began to look worried also as he wondered that same thought. "You don't think they could have left him here, do you?" he asked.

"That's horrible!" Judy gasped in horror. "Who would leave their own baby behind?"

"Now, now, Carrots, calm down, we don't know anything yet." Nick reminded her. "Now they _could_ have left him here _or_ something could have happened to them."

"Yeah… but either way… he's alone." Judy noted, sadly with tears forming in her eyes. She then noticed the little guy shivering as he felt a slight breeze blow by, which made Judy's heart ache and her ears droop. She then got an idea before covering her face for one second and then revealing it. "Peek-a-boo!"

This seemed to make the little guy laugh a cute little laugh as Judy covered her face again and showed it a few second later.

"Peek-a-boo!" she said, the baby laughed even more this time and watching him suck his thumb while staring and cooing at her made Judy smiled a big and warm smile. Having made up her mind, she began to reach towards the baby with both paws.

"Uh… Carrots? What are you doing?" Nick asked, surprised.

"We're taking him with us, that's what." Judy stated, firmly as she put both her paws on the baby's waist and prepared to pick him up. The baby's eyes widened as he stared at her while she gently lift him out of the basket.

It was then, as she briefly held him above her head, that she felt just how heavy the baby and it much more then what a baby bunny weighed so she struggled somewhat to hold him in her paws. But luckily, Judy was stronger then she looked and was able to keep herself from buckling under the baby's weight, though she couldn't hold him in the air for long and had to let him rest on her shoulder for a second.

"Whoo… he's a heavy one…" she remarked as she held him in front of her while the little baby began to babble while drool dripped from his mouth.

"Not to mention slobbery…" Nick pointed out a little grossed out.

Judy then whipped the saliva from his mouth, the feeling of her fur brushing against it made the little guy laugh before feeling her face with its chubby little paws, looking very curious and playful.

"Aw… he's adorable!" The bunny gushed.

"A little weird, yes, but… yeah, I guess he is kinda cute. Hope he doesn't mind being called that." Nick said.

"Something tells me he won't." Judy admitted.

"If you say so. Now the real question is… what do we do with him?" Nick asked.

"Easy, we report to Bogo and talk to him about this little guy, see what he thinks." Judy stated.

"Yeah, _that'll_ be fun…" Nick remarked, sarcastically. "Hey, I'm gonna go let that ferret know that everything's cool, he's probably freaking out back there."

"Ok. Meet you outside." Judy inquired.

"Sure thing." Nick nodded before turning and leaving Judy alone with the unknown baby mammal, whose legs were now wrapped around her chest and his little paws on her shoulder.

"So… what are we gonna do with you?" she asked it, even though she knew he couldn't answer.

The baby just cooed and then let out a long and cute yawn before wrapping his arms around her tighter and putting his head on her shoulder and falling asleep, much to her surprise, though she quickly accepted it and that's when she felt her heart beating faster as she smiled brightly. She wrapped her arms around the creature and pressed him against her chest tightly as she rocked him gently.

"Sssh, there you go…" The bunny said, soothingly before turning and beginning to walk away also, with the creature sucking his own thumb as he continued to rest on her. "You'll be alright… I _promise_ …"

As she left with the baby in tow, she failed to notice that at the spot where they found him, little sparks of energy started to pop up briefly before fading away in an instant.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The drive back to ZPD headquarters was long and silent, due to a certain little package the two cops managed to find during their investigation, who was currently wrapped in a blanket and held in Judy's arms. The little baby cried a few times during the way, but after Judy rocked him back and forth a few times with a soothing voice he calmed right down and smiled at her, further increasing his connection with Judy.

Soon enough, they both arrived at the prescient and began to walk inside. It was mainly empty, due to most of the personal being at home asleep. Course there were a _few_ people working in their cubicless but none of them noticed Nick and Judy walking by and carrying their new special friend, which Judy was grateful for. She didn't want to reveal the little guy just yet.

Around the same time, Chief Bogo was currently watching, and enjoying, what seemed to be a Gazelle music video on his phone. He had a big smile and let his body shake a little before he heard a knock his door. He quickly put down his phone, turned it off and looked up toward the door with wide eyes.

"Uh… come in!" he said before Judy, Nick, and the little creature, currently covered in a blanket, entered. "Ah, Hopps, Wilde, I see you've returned. I was just uh…"

"Listening to a Gazelle song? Yeah, we heard it all the way from the end of the hall." Nick revealed with a cheeky grin. "Good choice by the way."

Bogo scowled at the fox. "I really hate you sometimes, Wilde."

"I know." Nick nodded before Judy gave him an elbow jab. _That's_ when Bogo finally noticed the creature in Judy's arms, though he wasn't able to see it's face due to Judy pressing it against her chest.

"Hopps. What is _that_ in your arms?" he questioned.

"What? Oh! This, yeah, um… well, sir? We went to the ferret's flower shop to investigate the possible break in and uh… we… found something… alone in the ferret's shop." Judy revealed. "But it wasn't an intruder at all, really."

"Found _what_ , exactly?" Bogo questioned further, raising a brow.

"Well… that's the thing sir… we're not exactly sure…" Judy admitted.

"What do you mean you're not sure?" Chief Bogo asked, confused.

"Uh…" Judy said, unsure of how to answer. She then slowly turned the blanket around and revealed the baby's face to Bogo, whose eyes widen in shock while the little creature blinked at him.

"Yeah. Freaky, right?" Nick remarked before Judy gave him a quick glare.

"And… you found this… _thing_ in the flower shop?" Bogo asked.

"Yes, sir." Judy nodded.

"And you don't know what it is?" The chief added.

"Well, we know _he's_ a _baby_." Judy stated as said creature babbled and cooed. "But other then that… we don't _what_ kind of animal he is, where he came from or where his parents are… or where he's _from_ for that matter… he's all alone here."

The chief rubbed under his chin as he stared down at the wide eyed creature, who looked quite tiny to him, wondering what to do.

"Hmm…" he muttered.

"So… what do we do with him?" Nick inquired.

"Well, since we don't know what he is yet, our best option would be to let the Doctor's at the Zootopia Hospital take a look at him." Bogo stated, which made Judy nervous.

"And then?" Nick added.

"If the local orphanage will take him, then _that's_ where he'll stay." Chief Bogo replied.

Judy gasped softly and began to look very worried. "But… but sir…"

"What is it, Hopps?" Bogo asked, with an edge.

"Well, um, sir… you see… I'm not so sure giving him to the orphanage is such a good idea…" Judy confessed.

"And why is that?" The chief questioned, raising a brow. "After all, we don't even know if his parents are still alive or even if he has parents at all."

"Yes, I know but…" Judy began.

"But _what_? Speak up, Hopps!" Bogo told her, impatiently.

"Easy sir, _easy_ … remember your blood pressure." Nick reminded him.

" _Don't_ remind me…" Bogo grumbled.

"Yeah… you don't want me to stuff _the pill_ down your throat, do you?" Nick inquired, raising a brow with a knowing look.

" _And_ … you reminded me…" The buffalo growled. "Anyways, why is that sending him into foster care is such a bad idea, Hopps."

"Well, like you said… we don't know anything about his species _or_ where he came from and if other mammals found out about him the wrong way…" Judy started to say.

"Things could get a _little_ messy…" Nick finished.

"Exactly! And because no one knows anything about him… who knows if anyone will adopt him? He could stay stuck inside the orphanage for the rest of his life!" Judy said, fearfully.

"Hopps, don't you think you're becoming too… _attached_?" Bogo questioned. "I mean… _look_ at him! He's not your child or _anyone's_ for that matter and he's _not_ the ZPD's problem."

"I don't care, sir! And I don't want the Doctor's at Zootopia General to treat him like something that needs to be _poked_ and _experimented on_!" Judy stated, upset.

"Oh yeah… forgot about that…" Nick remembered.

"If that is his fate…" The chief began.

"It _won't_." Judy said, firmly.

"Then who do _you_ suggest we ask to take care of him? Huh?" Bogo demanded.

The bunny continued to stare up at her boss with a firm and serious look as she stepped closer. " _I_ will, sir."

Nick and the Chief both looked at her stunned. " _What_?" They both said in unison.

"I'm serious. Let _me_ adopt him, I have _tons_ of experience with babies, I took care of _all_ my new brothers and sisters back home." Judy pointed out.

"Yes, but, Hopps… I mean… _look at it_ , it's not a bunny. It might not be _exactly_ the same." Bogo reminded her.

"I know, but…" Judy began.

"Look, Carrots, far from me to say this… but the chief might have a point." Nick admitted.

"Don't agree with me Wilde, it makes me _very_ uncomfortable." Bogo grunted.

"I'm just saying… I mean… have you _really_ thought this through? He may not realize it now, but in a few years… he's gonna know that you two aren't related, that he's the _only_ one of his kind living here and wonder about _what_ he is and _where_ he came from, questions _none_ of us know how to answer." Nick reasoned.

"I'm aware of that…" Judy admitted, sadly.

"Not to mention… your place isn't exactly big enough to fit the both of you." Nick reminded her. He turned to the chief. "Trust me, I've seen that place, you wouldn't believe how small it is, it's shocking."

"I know…" The bunny said, growing a bit annoyed.

"Plus there's figuring out what food he eats, the expenses and the diapers… ugh, don't even give me _started_ on that… and the…" Nick began to say.

"Alright! I get it!" Judy snapped, a little frustrated. Her sudden yell then made the baby start crying loudly, which hurt all of their ears, but Judy quickly started to rock and shush him gently. "There, there, it's ok, it's ok… sorry if I scared you… it's ok…"

Nick and the Chief watched in amazement as the baby calmed right down for her as she kept on rocking him like he was her own and exchanged looks.

"Huh. Well, gotta admit, I think he likes you." Nick told her

"Yes, you two do seem to have a connection, but the points Wilde made are still valid." Bogo told her.

"Alright, now you're making _me_ uncomfortable." Nick confessed.

"So, what _exactly_ is your plan, Hopps?" Chief Bogo questioned, with folded arms and a raised brow.

Judy gazed down at the babbling baby in her arms and contemplated long and hard before reaching a conclusion. "I know it'll be tough, especially when it comes to trying to balance raising this little guy and my work here… but I _know_ I can do it."

"Yeah? How?" Nick inquired.

"I can easily ask my parents for some advice and some supplies that I'll need, after I show him to them of course… that'll be fun… and as for where I live, I already have enough saved up for a new place that I've been planning on getting. Where I am now was just a temporary set up." Judy explained.

"So _that's_ where the rest of money for your paychecks was going." Nick realized.

"Yep, every cent counts." Judy shrugged with a smile.

"And what about when he asks where he came from?" Bogo asked.

Judy looked a bit sad and unsure when he asked that question and stroked the baby's cheek. "I'm… not fully sure yet… I suppose I'll tell him when he's ready and we'll find the rest of the answers together," she said, determined.

Nick smiled, impressed by how dedicated she was to raising this child. "Well Carrots, if you're sure about this, then I'm with ya till the end. Whatever you need to help take care of this kid, I'll be there."

"Really?" Judy asked, touched.

"Yeah, we're partners, remember? We look out for each other." Nick assured her and he ruffled her head playfully, making her laugh. "Oh, by the way, have you decided on a name yet?"

"I was thinking about… _Jack_. Jack Hopps." Judy said, proudly.

"Jack, huh?" Nick remarked.

"Yeah, and _you_ are going to be 'Uncle Nick'." The bunny told him, smiling.

"Sure it can't be 'Uncle Officer Wilde'?" Nick inquired, smirking.

"No, ya goof." Judy said, punching him in the arm, playfully.

"Ow. Ok, ok, 'Uncle Nick' it is." The fox conceded.

Judy turned to her boss, who still looked stern. "Well, sir? With… all of that said… can I keep him?"

There was a long moment of silence, that was practically _killing_ the dynamic duo, until Chief Bogo finally said something. "You _sure_ you can handle it?"

" _Yes_." Judy answered, firmly.

"Do you think he could be _dangerous_ in the near or far future? We don't want to create another panic."

"He's _not_ , he's just a _baby_ and I _promise_ , I won't let what happened during the Night Howler case happen again."

"So do I, Carrots."

"And you're _sure_ he's the only one?"

" _Yes_. As far as I can tell… he has _no one_. Except _me_."

"And me."

"Quiet Wilde, I'm thinking."

"Ok…"

"So?" Judy asked both expectantly and nervously, so much so that she was almost tempted to hold the baby up to him and have him stare at him with his big, pleading eyes.

Soon enough, the chief came to a decision. "Fine. You may adopt him," he declared.

Judy let out a happy gasp and smiled brightly, tearing up a little as well. "Oh, _thank you_ , sir! You won't regret it! I promise."

"I'll hold you to that, Hopps." Bogo said. " _But_! If you think that you _can't_ , or if something _bad_ happens to this boy under _your_ watch… you must give him to child services. Am I clear?"

Judy, still beaming, nodded. "Deal!" she replied while the baby giggled with joy as Judy hugged him tightly.

"Well, well, well, sounds like your place is gonna get _real_ cozy, ain't it, Hopps?" Nick smirked. He ruffled her head a little. "Way to go, Carrots."

"Thank you, Nick." Judy said, gratefully. "I just hope I really _can_ do this…"

"Ah, relax, you got this!" Nick told her, encouragingly. "I mean, come on, how hard can taking care of this little tyke be?"

As he said this Nick gently pinched the little baby's chubby cheeks, which the baby responded to by puking a bit in Nick's face. The fox looked quite irked by this while Judy laughed a little.

"I think he likes you too!" she quipped. Bogo also chuckled a bit at this but quickly cleared his throat and looked away, still trying to look serious while Nick continued to have a flat faced look of annoyance as Judy and little baby Jack continued to laugh at his expense.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

After filling out some adoption papers and creating a genuine birth certificate for Jack as well as picking up a few baby supplies, Judy and Nick soon arrived back at Judy's apartment, with little Jack in tow. Judy was especially happy that she saved Jack from being somebody's experiment and/or abused foster child and during the whole ride to her home Jack slept in her arms, sucking his thumb peacefully.

Despite Judy's assurance, Nick insisted on walking Judy up to her room and helping her sort a few things out for Jack, which she soon accepted.

They soon reached the front door of Judy's place and opened the door to the very small space that Judy called home.

"Well Jack, here we are, your new home!" Judy said, proudly.

"Yeah… sorry about that kid." Nick told the little guy.

"Nick! I told you; it's temporary." Judy reminded him as she walked inside and was quickly met by the always loud yells of her crazy neighbors next door.

"You shut up!"

"No, _you_ shut up!"

"Hi, Pronk. Hi, Bucky." Judy spoke up so that they could hear her.

"Hi, Judy." The both replied before resuming their yelling. Nick looked especially bewildered and disturbed by this.

"Do they _ever_ stop?" he remarked.

"NO!" The two Oryx's answered, loudly of course.

"That answer your question?" Judy asked, raising a brow.

"Loud and clear…" Nick said, flatly.

"You get used to it." His partner shrugged.

"Yeah… I doubt that." Nick told her while the little bunny began to get to work on putting away any potentially sharp objects so that Jack couldn't touch or reach them.

"Ok… until tomorrow I'll need some place for him to sleep…" Judy mused. She turned to Nick. "Think it's ok if he sleeps with _me_ for tonight?"

Nick shrugged. "Your call," he said. "Ooh, by the way, here are the diapers, the powder and the baby food."

The fox quickly handed her the plastic bag full of the supplies they had gotten on the way to the apartment, which she gratefully took.

"Thank you Nick," she said. "This should be enough until tomorrow, where I'll get the rest of it."

"Still can't believe you're doing this." Nick admitted. "Not that I don't have total faith in you but…"

"I know, part of me can't believe it either." Judy confessed. "I never planned on settling down, having a family and a dozen kids in the future. All I wanted when I came here was to be a cop and that was it."

"Yeah, the universe sure is funny that way, huh Carrots?" Nick smirked.

"Sure is." Judy agreed as she set Jack on the bed, gently. However, despite that as soon as he was laid on top of it, Jack quickly began crying, hurting both of their ears, especially Judy's. "Oh no! Oh no, don't cry, don't cry…"

Judy rocked Jack back and forth as she said this, even though her ears were practically _killing_ her at the time, but Jack still continued to cry.

"Gah! Man, and I though Tweedle dee and Tweedle _annoying_ next door were loud…" Nick remarked, covering his ears.

"We heard that!" They both snapped.

"Ooh… what do we do!?" Judy asked, panicky.

"Well… don't babies cry when they're hungry?" Nick inquired.

Judy quickly got an idea. "Yes! That's probably it! And I know just what to give him!" she declared as she quickly opened the bag and took out what appeared to be the microwavable 'Carrot for One' package that she bought during her early days in Zootopia and put in her microwave and after a minute or so she took out and opened it.

Nick looked and was stunned by how small the carrot inside it was as steam radiated from it.

"Boy, talk about false advertising," he observed.

"And for once… I'm glad it's this small." Judy confessed as she used a spoon to squish it a lot and turn it into orange mush which she scooped up and put in Jack's mouth, this seemed to please him and make him stop crying. "There, that's much better, don't you think? Huh? You like carrots?"

As Judy began to speak to Jack in a playful way, the little guy quickly started to giggle and babble.

"Yeah… wait till you change the diaper, see if your smiling then." Nick muttered.

"Nick, I have over two hundred brothers and sisters, I've changed a diaper before." Judy stated, flatly.

"And I am very sorry to hear that." Nick said. "On both counts actually."

"Har, har." Judy rolled her eyes.

"Still, way to improvise." Nick complimented.

"Wow, a compliment, did it actually _hurt_ having to do that? Like did your soul _die_ a little?" Judy inquired in a joking manner.

"Cute." Nick smirked. "Well, anyways, since it looks like you're all good here, I guess I should get going."

"Ok, thanks again." Judy told him as he began to leave.

"No problem. Oh, and if you need any help just call." Nick stated as he walked out the door, before sticking his head back in. "… or scream 'Mommy', whatever works."

"Good _night_ , Nick." Judy said, amused and annoyed. "And drive safe."

"Hey, Carrots, it's _me_ , remember?" Nick pointed out.

"Uh-huh, that's why I said it." Judy replied, flatly. Baby Jack babbled in response, like he was agreeing. "See? _He_ agrees."

"Now that's unfair." Nick stated, a little irked. "Well, good night!"

"Night!" Judy called back as Nick left. She then turned her attentions back to Jack. "Ok, little guy, now I don't know if you can understand me or not… but I _promise_ you, I'm gonna take care of you, and make you happy, no matter what, ok?"

Jack cooed and babbled in response once again as he felt the fur on her face out of curiosity once again before he started giggling upon Judy nuzzling him gently with her furry cheek.

"Ok, time for bed." The bunny declared as she carried Jack away to the bed.

In just a short amount of time, Judy changed out of her uniform, put it on a hook and slipped on her pajama wear before walking over to the bed, where Jack was sitting on one side and looking around his new surroundings with wide eyes full of awe and curiosity. Judy smiled sweetly at him before getting into bed along next to him and putting the covers over them both. Soon enough, as Judy cuddled her new adopted child next to her, they both started to drift off.

* * *

Hours passed and the bunny and unknown mammal continued to sleep soundly together while moon shined in the far distance and the sounds of nightlife were heard, faintly outside. It was around midnight, that the little baby began to open it's eyes, presumably awoken by the faint noises.

Jack saw that Judy was still sleeping, then he heard little footsteps outside the door and became very curious. He slowly and carefully slid out of Judy's grasp and climbed out of the bed before crawling excitedly towards the door, greatly wanting to know what was on the other side.

Upon reaching it, he began to become upset when he couldn't open it and go through, but then, much to his amazement, the door opened a crack after he pushed on it once more. He pushed it again and it opened wider, making him babble with happiness as he started to crawl out into the hallway.

He looked to his left and right, then eventually decided to go down the left hallway, after hearing the noises again.

Jack then saw that one of the doors at the end of the hall was open a crack and became fascinated as he babbled with excitement and began to crawl over to it. He soon reached it and pushed it open more so that he could peer in; the room was around the same size as Judy's and housed a large bear, who was snoring loudly and had a blanket that barely covered him.

The little baby cooed and crawled over to the bear before trying as hard as he could to reach the blanket laying on the bear's chest, even though it was futile since his arms were so little and the blanket was so high up.

Soon enough the bear yawned and turned in his sleep, causing the blanket to fall off him and land on the small child, covering him up completely. He giggled a bit as he tried to get out from under it and eventually succeeded, with part of the blanket draped around him like a cape. Baby Jack then heard the noise he heard earlier, catching his attention and babbled again as he crawled out of the room and towards an open elevator that caught it's attention.

* * *

Around the same time, Judy was beginning to wake up as well and before she could close her eyes so that she could sleep again she suddenly noticed that Jack was no longer next to her, causing her to gasp sharply and her eyes to widen.

The bunny quickly sprung up and looked around, beginning to panic. "Jack? Jack!? _Jack!?_ Oh no…!" she gulped in fear. She quickly sprung out of bed, ran out of the room and into the hallway, desperately looking around for Jack. "Jack? Jack!"

"Quiet, ya nut!" She heard one neighbor yell.

"Sorry!" Judy whispered, before beginning to panic again. "Oh, Jack… where are you!?"

Judy quickly began to scamper down the hall, peeking in every slightly opened door to see if he was in there before heading to the next floor.

* * *

Elsewhere on another floor, the baby then began to crawl intently down another hallway.

He was squirming right by another partially opened door when a female beaver opened it up fully, causing Jack to stop. She looked down at the baby, who suddenly clamped down on her leg with his toothless gums. He looked up at her and blinked once.

The beaver fainted as the baby released. He then left the unconscious beaver in his wake and then continued his innocent rampage.

* * *

Around the same time, Judy was also arriving on the next Jack was on floor, panting quickly as she glanced around for young charge.

"Oh, this is all my fault… I never should have taken my eye off him… Nick was right; I _do_ need a crib for him…" she realized, feeling very guilty. "If anything happens to him…"

She then heard an odd noise a little ways away, thanks to her super sharp hearing and gasped.

"Jack? Jack!" The bunny cried as she rushed down the hall.

After going around another corner, she finally found Jack; grasping onto the shell of her frightened landlady; Mrs. Dharma Armadillo.

"Help! Help! Get it off me! Get it off of me!" Dharma wailed, fearfully as she spun around while Jack continued to hold onto her, giggling and still wearing his cape. Even when she curled up in a ball and started rocking back and forth, baby Jack still hung on.

"Jack!" Judy exclaimed as she rushed over and pried the little guy off the landlady's shell, and also took the 'cape' off of him. She held Jack tightly in her arms, tears threatening to leak out while she swayed him left and right. "Oh Jack, you silly little thing! I'm _so_ glad your ok! Don't you _ever_ do that to me again! I was so worried about you!"

Judy softly sobbed before Jack promptly wrapped his tiny arms around her, like he was trying to comfort her, which worked as she smiled brightly, happy to see that he was ok.

"Um… Miss Hopps?" Mrs. Armadillo spoke up before she uncurled from her ball, sounding fearful. "Could you care to explain… _this_?"

"Oh! Right. I am so, _so_ sorry, mam. It won't happen again, I'll keep a better eye on him, I swear." Judy assured her.

"So this… strange little thing… belongs to _you_?" Dharma inquired, still somewhat disturbed.

Judy nodded. "Yes. He's…" she began before she stared at Baby Jack as he cooed in her arms, making her smile again. "He's my _son_."

Upon saying those three words, Judy was struck with realization; he was her _son_ , she was a _Mom_. She hadn't had a chance to let those facts fully sink into her head until then and now that she had, she felt like her whole world had just changed. No. Her _universe_ had changed. And it filled her heart with sheer joy. She now knew just how her own mother felt when she held her and/or one of her new siblings.

"I'm his mother now…" she added softly as she held him close while he continued to babble playfully.

Dharma raised a brow. "Funny… he doesn't look like a bunny."

"Oh, he's not." Judy informed.

"Then what _is_ he…?" Dharma questioned, curiously.

"I don't know…" Judy admitted as she gazed at her new adopted son. "But it doesn't matter, he's still my son no matter what. And I know he looks strange but _please_ mam,don't tell anyone else about him yet, they're just not ready yet."

The armadillo sighed. "Very well… but I trust you'll be finding a bigger place for you both. Like you said; mammals aren't ready to learn about this… little thing… just yet. We don't want to disturb the other tenants."

"Don't worry mam, it's on my to-do list. And again; so sorry this happened, guess he's smarter then I thought." Judy confessed. "I'll be getting him a crib soon too."

Dharma sniffed a bit and reacted with disgust as she held her nose. "I think he needs something else also…"

Judy sniffed as well and quickly understood. "Oh… right… I'll get on that."

The bunny quickly scampered off to deal with the stinky diaper her son now had, while little Jack waved to the armadillo as they left, which she returned slowly.

* * *

Some time after, back in Judy's room, the little bunny was currently in the middle of putting a new diaper on Jack, while the little creature sucked on his hand. She wiped her forehead and sighed when she was finished.

"There! All done," she declared as she picked Jack up and sat him down in front of her. She sighed again. "What am I gonna do with you?"

Jack only babbled in response.

"Listen Jack, I don't know if you can understand me, but if were gonna be mother and son you're going to have to trust me. I know part of you misses her your real parents deep down but until we can find out where they are and what happened to them you'll be safer with me. And I _promise_ , I will _always_ protect you, _always_. Ok?" Judy told her new son, gently.

Despite his young age, Jack seemed to understand what Judy was trying to tell him and smiled as he babbled before wrapping his arms around Judy in a tight embrace, which she happily returned.

"I love you, Jack." Judy said, tenderly as she rocked him.

Deep down, Judy knew raising an unknown mammal like Jack wouldn't be easy, and that he'd be facing some hard challenges later in his life but as she mentally prepared herself for the tasks that lay ahead, she continued to hold her son in a loving manner and enjoyed the moment she had with him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

A few of weeks later, Judy spent part of her time getting more baby supplies, preparing to move to a bigger establishment and taking care of little Jack. However, juggling all three things was much harder then Judy expected and at times she felt like she was losing her mind and while she hated hiding him away she still persisted on waiting for the right time to reveal him to more mammals.

Because of this, finding a babysitter while she did her police work was _extremely_ difficult. At times, after a great deal of begging, she asked Dharma to look after Jack, even though she was greatly scared of him. Other times she asked Nick to use one of his vacation days and stay at her apartment, though every time she came back Nick was twitchy and frazzled. Though most of time she brought him along during patrols, while driving at a safe speed.

 _This_ … was one of those times.

As the side door to the police car opened, a large booster seat was placed on the middle seat. Usually it was where the criminals sat, but this time a certain little baby named Jack was placed in the booster seat, looking wide eyed, before being buckled up by his adopted mother Judy, who gave him a pair of pawcuffs to play with while she quickly got into the front seat along with Nick.

"Ok Jackie, you ready for another day on the job with Mommy?" Judy asked her son, playfully. Jack made a happy nose as he raised his arms, which quickly answered her question. "Alright, let's go!"

Judy gently pressed on the pedal the pursuit vehicle they were in began to drive out onto the street and traveled at a safe speed, which was considered a bit slow by other folk but Judy didn't want to take any chances.

"I still can't believe you're taking him to work… _again_." Nick remarked, flatly.

"Hey, I didn't plan on it." Judy defended. "Miss Armadillo wouldn't come out of her office and after what happened _last time_ , I'm not sure you're ready to be alone with him just yet… plus you ran out of vacation days."

"I told you; what happened that time wasn't my fault." Nick stated.

"Oh really? Because I seem to recall differently." Judy said, as her mind began to flash back a couple of days ago.

* * *

 _It was during one of those times when Judy needed Nick to use one of his vacation days in order to take care of Jack while she was away, it was a tricky operation but so far it had worked with little incident… or so they thought._

 _Before leaving Judy was going over all the things he needed to do before she left while he stood outside the door holding Jack, who was sleeping at that time, and was much bigger now, with more hair on his head also.._

" _Ok, remember Nick; his nap is at nine then after that make sure to feed him his carrot flavored baby food…" Judy began._

" _And if he starts crying just wave some of his toys in front of him, especially the musical ones and always check to see if he needs to be burped." Nick finished. He had heard Judy's instructions a million times, though it didn't stop Judy from worrying._

" _Right, and don't expose him to too much sun or let him suck on any dirty objects and if he gets dirty bath him then use that new moisturizer I bought yesterday." Judy added. "Oh, and if there's an emergency…"_

" _I'll call you, I got it, don't worry Carrots. It'll be fine." Nick assured her. "Don't ya trust me?"_

" _Of course, I'm just gonna miss him…" Judy said, sadly._

 _Nick put a comforting pat on her shoulder. "Relax, you'll see him once you get back. I'll make sure nothing happens to him."_

" _Thank you, Nick." Judy said, gratefully._

" _Absolutely." The fox nodded._

" _Oh! Almost forgot! I think he's getting close to the point where he's learning to walk so if he does let me know_ as soon as possible? Got it? _" Judy questioned him, firmly._

 _Nick saluted. "Yes, ma'am," he said. "Now, shouldn't you get going? Chief Hornhead's not gonna be happy if you're late again."_

" _Right, just… one more goodbye." Judy requested as Nick set Jack down in front of Judy who cupped his cheeks and gave him a peck on the forehead. "I love you, Jack. I'll back soon, ok?"_

 _The little baby giggled in response while he and his adopted mother rubbed noses, affectionately._

 _Nick smiled at the sight. "I'll make sure to tell him stories about you before his nap, that should send him right off."_

" _Har, har." Judy said, amused. She then turned to leave. "We'll, see you when I get back."_

" _Have fun stopping crime!" Nick called out as she began walking away._

" _I will!" Judy called back. Nick waited till the sound of her footsteps disappeared before closing the door and holding Jack up._

" _Ok kid, ready to spend some time with Uncle Nick?" The fox inquired with a grin before Jack started crying uncontrollably, hurting his ears and making him wince. "Oh no…. Oh no, no, no, no, no…"_

 _Nick quickly rushed Jack over to the table and set him down gently while the little guy continued to cry his eyes out._

" _Aw, come on kid don't cry!" Nick pleaded, but Jack didn't stop. "Oh… now what?"_

 _The former con artist looked around, searching for something that would calm the baby down before remembering the toys Judy had gotten him. He quickly took out a toy bear and waved it in front of the kid._

" _Hey! Hey! Hey! Look at me! I'm mister bear! I'm not crying, I'm happy, so please stop crying… right now…" Nick said, with a forced smile as he tried to speak for the bear, hoping it would calm Jack down, though it seemed to have little effect. "Uhh... uhh... uhh... Oh! Right! It's musical! You like the musical ones!"_

 _Nick took the bear's head and began to wind it up, so that it would be able to play music, but he ended up winding the head to hard and as he was spinning it, it ended up getting stuck halfway, making it look like his head was backwards. His eyes widen in panic while Jack cried even harder._

" _Uh-oh…" he commented. He started to sweat nervously before doing a series of goofy looking faces, hoping it would make the kid laugh. "Hey, look at the funny fox! Look at the funny fox! Please stop crying before I lose my sanity…!"_

 _Again, it didn't seem to work._

 _Nick then began to spend the next few hours trying various tricks to get the kid to stop crying. He waved several of his favorite toys in front of him, tried to feed him and even tried to burp him, nothing seemed to work. He also, reluctantly, checked to see if his diaper needed to be changed, but it was clean._

 _After Nick pulled down his ears, growling in frustration he soon joined Jack in crying his eyes out, albeit in a more comical and dramatic fashion and mainly out of defeat and exhaustion._

 _The door then slammed open and Judy quickly dashed inside._

" _Nick!? What's happening!?" she asked, quickly before noticing the two of them crying. "Nick?"_

 _The aforementioned fox quickly stopped crying upon seeing his partner. "Oh, hey Carrots, what's up?"_

" _What's up? What's up is that I got a call at work from one of my neighbors saying that they've been hearing_ two _babies crying all day!" Judy answered, frustrated. She then began to walk over to her son. "What did you do to him?"_

"Nothing! _Carrots, I_ swear _he just won't stop crying, no matter what I did or said! I tried everything!"_ _Nick exclaimed, tiredly._

 _Judy quickly scooped Jack into her arms and began to rock him, despite how heavy he was getting these days. She shushed him gently. "There we go… it's ok… Mommy's here… Mommy's here…" she said, soothingly and just like that… he stopped._

 _Nick's eyes widened when he realized something. "Hey… it's quiet… he stopped crying…" he said, slowly and with a stunned look on his face as he glanced at Hopps. "How'd you_ do that!?"

 _Judy shrugged. "It's a mother's thing," she replied. After which, Nick fainted, dead away._

* * *

As Judy's flashback ended, Nick gained a sour look on his face.

"I told you; that _wasn't_ my fault," he stated. "The kid wouldn't stop crying!"

"And you know _why_?" Judy questioned.

"Lighten me."

"It's because every time, and I do mean _every time_ , you give Jack that annoying grin of yours you make him cry."

"And I don't get that, _why_ is my face so scary? Do you think it's because I'm a fox?"

" _No_ , Nick. That's not why, it's because you're _you_."

"Gee, I don't know what hurts worse; my ego or my heart."

"Oh, chin up you big baby."

" _Anyway_ … the fact that you're nearly out of options is still there." The fox pointed out.

"I know…" The bunny sighed.

"Look, all I'm saying is, when it comes to taking care of kid while your away you might want to consider asking you're folks about it." Nick suggested.

"I _know_ Nick… I just… I just don't know if they'll be able to take it…" Judy admitted.

"Well, yeah, of course they're gonna be a little… _shocked_ to hear that you're a Mommy and taking care of… _him_." Nick said, gesturing to the little baby still teething on the pair of pawcuffs. "But in long run, you're gonna be _so_ relieved. Plus hey, if your folks love you I'm sure they'll love _him_."

Judy smiled, comforted. "Yeah… your right."

"And if they don't… well then screw 'em." Nick stated, blunt. "No offence."

The bunny quickly shushed him. " _Nick_! _Language_! There's a baby on board!" she scolded him.

"Yet another reason to consider showing him to your folks and asking them to babysit every now and then." Nick pointed out, smirking.

Judy sighed deeply. "Ok, ok, you win, I'll use one of my own vacation days to go over and visit them," he declared.

"See? Was that so hard to admit?" Nick asked, smugly.

"Don't push it, fox." Judy warned him. Jack added to that by giving Nick a raspberry, amusing Judy and annoying Nick.

"I swear, if that kid turns into _you_ … I'm gonna walk into the freeway." Nick stated, flatly. He turned to Jack. "And _you_ … you better stay clear of my funeral, understand?"

Jack babbled in response.

Pretty soon after, a super fast vehicle drove right past them, catching the two cop's attention easily.

"Ooh, looks like we gotta a speeder." Nick observed.

"Flash again?" Judy asked, tiredly.

"Nah, he said he was gonna take it slow, if that's possible." Nick quipped with a smirk.

"Hilarious. Shall we?" Judy asked, impatiently.

"After you." Nick offered as he turned on the siren while Judy slammed on the gas pedal as they drove right after the speeding vehicle, during which Jack laughed a giddy little laugh.

"Well, what do you know? He also likes going fast." Nick remarked, amused which made Judy chuckle this time as they continued to chase after the other car.

* * *

A few days later, taking advantage of her day off, Judy decided to take the first train to Bunnyburrow to visit her family, with little Jack in tow as well. After getting him into a stroller that was a bit bigger then her she went over to where everyone else was waiting for the next train and stood their with them, not even noticing the odd and surprised looks the other animals were giving Jack. Though when she did she gave them a crossed look and they stopped.

Eventually, the train pulled up and animals, big and small stepped off before Judy, Jack and the rest of them all walked in.

Judy soon took her seat and made sure Jack, who was currently sleeping, was right in front of her. She tucked in his blanket a little more, to make sure he was warm and smiled at him.

"Ok Jack… off to meet your Grandparents, and don't worry they're gonna _love_ you." Judy assured her funny as she rubbed his chubby cheek, making him giggle in his sleep. She then noticed some more mammals glancing at him and whispering to each other before she looked at them annoyed once more. "I hope…"

It was a bit of a long train ride, like it usually was due to Bunnyburrow being 211 miles outside of Zootopia. But eventually Judy saw the sign of her old rural hometown, the population meter still going up as usual and she quickly felt a rush of nostalgia, which she got every time she visited.

Slowly the train began to stop and Judy hopped out of her seat and took the stroller.

"Ok Jack, here we are, Mommy's old home. Ooh! This is gonna be so much fun!" she smiled as she went behind the stroller and began to push it.

* * *

Judy and Jack soon arrived at the Hopps family farm, which was just as Judy remembered it. As another wave of nostalgia flowed through her she pushed the stroller through the carrot fields and parked it near the house before wrapping Jack up and lifting him out. It was more of a struggle for her now that he was nearing her height but didn't show it in the slightest.

While carrying Jack in her arms, his head resting on her shoulder, she walked up to the front door of the old house and knocked on it.

"Just a second!" She heard her father's voice called out before hearing other clattering noises and multiple voices from her other siblings until finally her parents opened the door, they gasped and looked happy to see her.

"Judy!" Bonnie Hopps smiled. "Your back!"

"Hi, Mom." Judy smiled back as she her mother gave each other a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, hey! Jude the dude! Oh, we've missed you honey." Stu Hopps said warmly while he Judy engaged in a quick hug.

"Missed you too, Dad." Judy assured him. Just then, most of her other younger siblings popped up in front and around her parents.

"Hi, Judy!" They all said.

"Hi, guys! Wow, your all growing up so fast!" Judy gushed.

"Except Thomas." One female bunny commented.

"Hey! I'll get my growth spurt soon!" A chubby male bunny with glasses protested.

"Yeah, in four or five _years_." The girl bunny snarked. As the two continued bickering, Judy just smiled and shook her head in amusement, it was just like old times.

"Alright kids, that's enough." Bonnie told them.

"So, Judy, what brings you by? Is everything alright?" Stu inquired.

"Are you hurt, sweetie!?" Bonnie added, worried.

"And what's that in your arms?" Thomas questioned, pointing to the rather big bundle she was carrying.

"Guys, I'm fine, don't worry and… as for _this_ … it's… something I wanted to show you." Judy revealed as she turned Jack and moved the blanket so that they could see his face. "Meet Jack."

As the dark haired little creature stared and blinked at them, the other bunnies all gasped in shock.

"Well… isn't that… well it's so…" Bonnie said, trying to find the right words.

"Is it a monster?" Thomas spoke up.

"Thomas!" Bonnie scolded.

"What?" The boy bunny asked. "You were thinking it to, right? I mean… _is_ it a monster?"

"He's _not_ a monster." Judy scowled.

"Then what _is_ he?" Another bunny asked, curiously.

"He's _baby_." Judy emphasized, slowly. She then smiled at the big bundle in her arms, warmly. "And he's also my son."

"Your _son!?_ " All the bunnies exclaimed in shock.

They then heard an old voice speaking up from inside the house, like someone just waking up. "Uh… w-where's the sun?"

"Oh boy… it's nothing Pop-Pop, go back to sleep!" Bonnie yelled out into the house.

"Ok, Ronnie." They heard Pop-Pop say.

" _Bonnie_." Mrs. Hopps said, firmly. They then refocused their attentions back to Judy and her 'son'.

"Uh, Judy? Honey? What do you mean when you say… 'he's your son'?" Stu questioned, confused and nervous. "Did you get pregnant and not tell us?"

Bonnie gasped. "Oh dear! And he's deformed!?"

"Why didn't you tell us!?" Stu added, freaking out.

"No. No! I was not pregnant, he's not 'deformed', his name is _Jack,_ Jack Hopps and he's a baby mammal Nick and I found while we were investigating a disturbance back in Zootopia." Judy explained. "He was all alone, no parents, no way of knowing how he got there or how to send him back… so _I_ decided to adopt him and the reason I didn't tell you all this for so long is because I _knew_ you'd react this way."

"Act what way?" Stu asked.

"So… so… _scared_ around anything or anyone that's different! You may have accepted foxes now… but I don't think you've let them into your heart, have you?" Judy questioned.

Both her parents looked down sadly, their ears drooping as Judy's question hit it's mark. Both of them comforted the other before Bonnie sighed deeply.

"Your right bun-bun… part of us… is still scared around predators and… things that are different…" Bonnie confessed. "It's not an easy thing to fully get rid of, you know?"

"I know." Judy sighed.

"Like you said; we should have nothing to fear but fear itself, _you_ taught us that, and it's been hard… but we really are working on Jude." Stu assured her. "Just… taking some baby steps."

Judy nodded, understandingly. "Ok, I suppose that's reasonable. But I'm still going to be Jack's mother now, it's true I don't know what kind of animal he is or what he can do… but I'm gonna _try_ ," she said.

"That's what you do." Bonnie smiled, sweetly.

"Exactly." Judy said. Jack the started babbling and reaching out towards them. "Hey, you wanna hold him?

Her parents looked surprised. "Really?" her mother asked. "Are you sure?"

Judy nodded. "Yeah, go ahead, he won't bite, his teeth aren't even fully grown yet," she assured them as she held him out.

"Uh… he's kinda big, ain't he?" Stu pointed out.

"Yeah… he kinda grows every single day, sometimes makes it hard to carry him, but I manage." Judy admitted. "I'm also pretty sure he'll be _way_ taller then _any of us_ when he grows up."

"Ooh boy, that'll be challenge…" Stu remarked.

"Yes… a little advice from one mother to another; be prepared for the challenges of the teenage years dear, as you've seen from your siblings… they can be quite difficult…" Bonnie winced.

"Hey!" One of the teen bunnies in the back protested.

"Don't worry Mom, I can handle it." Judy said, confidentially. "Now… do you wanna hold him or don't you? Because I think he really wants to meet his new Grandparents."

"Oh… o-okay." Stu said as he and Bonnie reached forward as Judy handed Jack to them. It took both of them to hold him up but despite the heavy weight they both began smiling when they saw Jack's happy face.

"Oh… so sweet…" Bonnie sighed. She then began to tickle him. "Hi, there! I'm your Grandma Bonnie."

"And I'm Grandpa Stu." Judy's father added. They then allowed some of the other bunnies to get a good look at him. "And _these_ … are all your aunts and uncles."

Most of Judy's siblings rushed out and began exclaiming loudly with fascination, excitement, happiness and more as they all tried to get a better look at their new nephew.

"Aw! He's so cute!" A girl bunny gushed.

"Yeah, for a mammal without fur." Thomas remarked.

"I'm an Uncle now! Yay!" A little boy bunny cheered. Stu, Bonnie and Judy all watched this with happy looks on their faces as they exchanged glances.

"Welcome to parenthood, honey." Stu told Judy.

"We're so proud of you." Bonnie added, sweetly.

"Thanks guys." Judy said, gratefully.

"You _sure_ you're ready though?" Her mother inquired further. "Other mammals out there might not see him such a harmless little thing…"

"I know." Their daughter nodded. "But with Nick's help, I'm sure we can help him through it."

"Nick, right…" Stu recalled. "Say, is he your boyfriend now?"

" _Dad_!" Judy exclaimed in embarrassment.

"I'm just asking!" Stu said, defensively. "Nothing wrong with that, right?"

Judy rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile on her face at her parents, it was just like old times, only better. Pretty soon, they all began to head into the house and welcome the newest member of the Hopps family. Judy knew that her parents were still a little nervous and disturbed by Jack but she could tell they were trying and that was all that mattered to her.

* * *

Later on, after catching up with her parents, showing Jack to her other siblings and old childhood friends, Judy said her goodbye's to them all and managed to catch the next train heading back to Zootopia. It was night time by then and at that time Jack was currently sleeping inside his little stroller parked right next to Judy's seat, who was beginning to get sleepy also.

"Ok Jack… in a couple of minutes we'll be back home… probably have to start moving our stuff to the new house tomorrow too, hope you'll like it…" Judy told him with a yawn as she started to doze off… and then, the unexpected happened.

"Mama…"

Judy's eyes quickly snapped open upon hearing that word. She sat straight up, tried to calm her breathing and pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Then she heard it again...

"Mama…"

She slowly looked over to the side, toward the stroller that held her son, who was now awake and sucking on his thumb, and then she heard a certain word escape his mouth;

"Mama…"

Hearing that made Judy's eyes tear up while a large, happy smile appeared on her face as she pulled the stroller over to that he was facing her.

"Mama…" he repeated once again, staring at her with his big, innocent eyes.

Tears slowly fell down Judy's cheeks as she softly sobbed with joy and gently stroked her son's c cheek. "That's right Jack… I'm your mama…" she said happily as she cuddled up next to her son's stroller, happy to have heard his first word ever; Mama.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Over the next six years or so, Judy spent nearly every hour she had raising little Jack, especially after they moved into their new house and Judy adjusted her hours at work, which Nick as well so that he could be around to help her out and still work alongside her. Together they helped Jack learn how to walk, talk more and taught him many basic facts about the many animals in Zootopia.

Judy's parents helped out from time to time, though they were still a little afraid of Jack but as the years past they slowly got over it.

As for Jack, he grew and grew until he just a bit taller then Judy and she knew that he was only going to get bigger, but didn't mind so much. She also still kept him hidden from most mammals, aside from the ones she couldn't avoid, as she feared how the whole city would react and how they would treat him. Jack on the other hand seemed curious about why he couldn't go outside as much as he wanted to and soon enough he started to realize how different he was.

His curiosity continued to grow and was almost overwhelming, especially on the day Nick finally convinced Judy to let Jack start his first day of Elementary school.

On that day, inside what seemed like a typical looking little boy's room filled with toys, stuffed animals, mainly rabbits, and surprisingly enough a Gazelle poster, who he became a fan of from listening to her with his Mom, an alarm clock suddenly started ringing.

A soft groan came from the covers before a furless, five fingered hand reached out and tiredly hit the snooze button.

The covers then rise up as the six-year old underneath sat up and pushed them back before rubbing his eyes. He now had more hair on his head, which had become a nice shade of brown over time though he was still a bit scrawny. He then looked at the calendar and quickly became excited, evident from the rapid tapping of his foot, just like a rabbit.

"Alright! Today's the day!" he said as he hopped out of bed and went to change from his P.J's into his regular clothes. After he put on a red t-shirt and dark shorts Jack went back over to his bedside table and put on a pair of large, round glasses, as he was discovered to be near sighted a few years back, which somehow made his blue eyes shine even brighter.

"Jack! Time to get up! Breakfast is ready!" he heard Judy call out.

"I'm up, Mom! Coming!" Jack called back as he ran out of his room.

He soon arrived in a small little kitchen where at the moment Judy was just setting a plate with two slices of buttered toast cut down the side in front of a seat which Jack quickly climbed onto.

"Morning, sweetie." Judy smiled.

"Morning, Mom." Jack smiled back as Judy kissed his head.

"Sleep well?"

"Yep!"

"You excited about today?"

"I sure am! Today's the day! The day I start my first day of school! Whoo-hoo!" he cheered, excitedly.

Judy laughed and patted him on the head. "Ok, ok, I know your excited, but please try to ton it down? Super hearing, remember?" she reminded him as she gestured to her big ears.

Jack lowered his head, feeling guilty. "Sorry…"

"Aw, it's ok, honey. Mommy's ok, she just… can't handle sharp noises, you know?" Judy said, comfortingly.

"Ok." Jack nodded.

"Thank you." Judy said as she began to turn and walk somewhere else before Jack said something.

"Mommy?" he inquired.

Judy turned her head towards him. "Yes, Jack?"

"How come I don't have long ears like you do?" The six-year old asked, curiously.

"Um… uh…" Judy said slowly, unsure of how to answer him. He had asked similar questions in the past but she always came up with a good excuse, though lately she was running out. "Well… it's because… your _special_ , Jack. Unique."

"I am?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Of _course_! Your perfect the way you are, always remember that." Judy told him, softly.

Jack nodded. "I will."

"Good. Now, are you going to finish your breakfast _before_ … or _after_ we get to school?" she quipped.

"Ok!" Jack nodded as he quickly grabbed a slice of toast and began to happily chow down on it.

Judy smiled at her adopted son, despite not being related by blood or species, Jack had taken after her in many ways, such as her unyielding optimism and idealistic nature as well as her intelligence, which Nick fears could be greater then his own, much to Judy's amusement.

Before she knew it, he was already done.

"I'm finished!" he announced, snapping Judy out of her trance. "Can we go now?"

Judy chuckled, walked over and tapped her son on the nose. "Sure," she smiled.

"Will Uncle Nick be there?" Jack inquired.

"If he knows what's good for him… yes." Judy nodded.

"Alright!" Jack cheered as he climbed off his seat and started running for the door. "Come on, let's go."

"Ok, ok, coming…" Judy said, still smiling in amusement as she began to follow him.

Although she was still nervous about Jack showing himself to more then just a few mammals and afraid of what they might do to him. She already informed the school Principal about him and got her approval but still she worried, which caused her to stop for a bit and think.

" _Oh… I hope I'm doing the right thing here, I know Jack really wants this and so do I, but what if they pick on him so much that he doesn't want to come back?_ " she thought to herself. "I don't want…"

"Mommy?" she heard Jack speak up, breaking her out of her stupor once again. She looked and saw him standing by the door. "Are you coming?"

Judy smiled as she started thinking positively once more. "Right, of course," she nodded as she then walked toward the door also.

* * *

After getting in Judy's police car, the two quickly drove across town till they were right in front of Zootopia Elementary which went up to six grades and housed all kinds of mammals, who were all beginning to make their way towards the school with their parents.

"Well, here we are." Judy announced.

Jack pressed his face against the window in amazement. "Wow! Look at all the animals! This is gonna be awesome!" he smiled.

"Ok, now remember to be respectful to your teachers and classmates, alright?" Judy told him.

Jack nodded. "Ok, Mom."

"Good. Want me to walk you to the front doors?" Judy offered.

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I walk to the front doors by myself?"

"Any special reason?"

"No, I just… I wanna try and do it on my own, plus… didn't you say were embarrassed when Grandma and Grandpa walked _you_ into school?"

Judy recalled that moment and shuddered a bit. "Ah, yes… they did… ok, I can see your point, but just know I would _never_ do that to you," she assured him.

"Thanks, Mom." Jack said, gratefully.

"But if going in alone is what you want to do, then you can." Judy nodded.

"Sweet! Thanks, Mom! Love you!" Jack said as he hugged his adopted mother tightly, who hugged him back.

"I love you too, peanut." Judy expressed softly before looking him in the eye. "Now remember; most of the kids and teachers here have never seen a mammal like _you_ before, they'll be nervous and a bit scared around you but _don't_ let that stop you and don't let them keep you out of things because your different. Just _try_. Try to show them what a great kid you are."

Jack nodded. "I will."

"And also… make some friends." Judy added.

Jack giggled. "Ok!" he said, before he spotted something. "Hey! It's Uncle Nick!"

Judy turned and saw Nick standing nearby, apparently waiting for them. Jack quickly hopped out of the car and ran to him.

"Uncle Nick! Uncle Nick!" he called out.

"Hey! Wait! Jack, not so fast!" Judy cried, getting out also and chasing after her adopted son.

The fox then noticed the little boy running toward him and smiled.

"Uncle Nick!" Jack repeated.

"Hey! Kiddo!" Nick exclaimed pleased as he bent down and embraced the boy.

"You came!" Jack beamed.

"Yeah, told you I would, didn't I?" Nick reminded him, smirking as he stood back up.

"Nick!" Judy called out before she finally reached the two of them.

"Hey Carrots, nice exhausted look, really suits you." Nick quipped.

"Ha-ha." Judy responded flatly yet still amused. "Glad you could come."

"What? And miss my honorary nephew's first day? Pashaw!" Nick remarked while being overly dramatic.

Judy smiled and shook her head before the bell began to ring and the kids and their parents all began to rush inside. "Oh! There's the bell, guess it's time," she observed.

"Yay!" Jack cheered.

"Remember Jack; be respectful to your teachers." Judy reminded him.

Jack nodded. "Ok!"

"And if you like what the other kid's are doing is bad then don't do it, don't let them peer pressure you into doing it," she added.

Jack nodded once more. "Ok."

"And most importantly…" Jack began sounding serious at first before shifting into a casual tone. "Have fun."

"Yeah!" Jack yelled, excitedly as he started to run to the school while Judy and Nick watched him go, though Judy still looked a bit worried.

"Oh… I hope I did the right thing…" Judy muttered.

"Come on Carrots, he'll be fine, and knowing him he'll probably make some friends _and_ be at the top of his class." Nick said, confidently.

"I hope so but… what if the other kids hurt him…?" Judy wondered, as fear began to write itself all over her face. "I don't know if I could forgive myself if he got hurt…"

"Well… animals judging him is a _very_ clear possibility, we discussed that on day one, remember?" Nick reminded her.

"I know… but I'm not sure he fully understands just how different he is yet…" Judy confessed.

"Well… he's gonna learn _today_ …" Nick said, solemnly.

* * *

Upon stepping inside, the wide-eyed little Jack Hopps saw dozens of little mammals walking around, talking, laughing and putting their backpacks into little cubbies, which Jack did also before he began to walk down the hall. Among the little animals he saw their were cheetah's, jaguar's, bobcat's, anteater's, beavers, hippo's and other bunnies plus all other mammals.

Smiling in a friendly manner, he began to wave as he passed each of the kid's by, who were all surprised. "Hi! Hello! Nice to meet you! I'm Jack. Hello!" he said to each of them, despite none of them responding back.

As he continued walking down the hall he continuously glanced at each of them, fascinated and amazed though he started to become confused when they all started to stare him looking confused, anxious and scared, seem even looked disgusted to see him.

"What is _that_?"

"Never seen a mammal like _that_ before…"

"Hey, look! He's got no fur!"

"Does that mean he's naked?"

"What a _freak_!"

"Hey, four-eyes! Wrong school! Monsters Elementary is around the block!"

Those were just _some_ of the many comments and remarks Jack heard as he walked by His smile faded as he continued to hear them and began to grow more and more confused and uncomfortable, as well as a bit hurt by their mean insults.

"But… but I'm _not_ a monster…" he muttered before he accidentally bumps into something that knocks him over.

He looked up and saw what appeared to be a young bull boy, approximately a year older then him and despite his age he was much bigger and taller then Jack. He wore a navy blue t-shirt and was accompanied by two other tough looking kids, comprised of a rhino and a hippo.

"Hey! Watch where your going, dork!" The bull boy snapped.

"S-sorry…" Jack squeaked.

"Hey, just what the heck _are_ you anyway? Some kind of _freak_?" The bull questioned.

"I-I-I… don't know… m-my name is… J-Jack… what's yours?" Jack asked, stuttering.

"Name's Tank!" The bull said before grabbing Jack by the collar and pulling him up. "And _freaks_ aren't allowed at this school!"

"B-But I'm not a freak!" Jack protested.

"Sure you are! I mean look at you, you got no fur!" Tank stated as he dropped Jack.

"Except on his head." The hippo pointed out.

"Shut it, Craig!" Tank snapped while Jack scooted away from them, looking scared. "Just stay away from us. _All_ of us. Understand? Let's go, boys."

And with one last snort, Tank and his crew turned and walked away from Jack, who picked himself up and looked sad before one of the teachers began to walk by.

"Uh… excuse me, can you…?" he started to ask but the teacher just took one look at him and walked away with a harrumph. Disappointed, Jack turned to another teacher that was walking by also. "Uh, excuse me? I'm new can you show me…"

But that teacher walked away also. He tried a few more times before grabbing the shirt of one of the bigger kids, a young lion.

"Um, excuse me? Sorry to bother you but do you know where I'm supposed to be?" Jack inquired.

"Yeah; _underground_ , where you _belong_." The lion cub snorted as he pushed Jack into a wall roughly before walking off also.

Jack moaned a bit and rubbed his shoulder as he sniffed and began to tear up before he heard someone clear their voice to get his attention.

"Um, excuse me?"

He turned and was stunned to see a pretty looking Jaguar girl about his age with brown eyes and wore a blue shirt with a pink skirt, she held a book against her chest.

"Hi, I'm Lily Clawson." The jaguar smiled.

"Uh… hi…" Jack responded slowly as she approached him.

"Are you ok?" she asked, concerned.

Jack nodded. "Uh-huh…" he said as she helped him up. "Thank you…"

"No problem, so… you come from abroad?" Lily asked.

"Abroad?" Jack echoed, confused.

"My Daddy says that means that someone has come from some place far away from Zootopia."

"Oh."

"You just move here recently?"

"Uh… no, I've been here since I was little… I just… didn't get out much…"

"Oh, well, welcome to Zootopia Elementary, this is my first day here, just like you."

"Cool. My name is Jack. Jack Hopps." The little boy said as he shook Lily's paw.

"Hopps? Like… _the_ Judy Hopps?" Lily asked, surprised.

"Yeah, she's my Mommy." Jack revealed.

"Wow! But… you don't look like a bunny…" Lily pointed out, confused.

"I know. Don't know _why_ though…" Jack admitted, a bit sadly.

Lily looked a little bit puzzled but smiled anyway. "Well, in any case I want to apologize for Tank. He can be real jerk sometimes."

"You know him?" Jack inquired.

"Unfortunately. We were in the same Pre-K class a few years ago." Lily explained.

"Oh."

"How come I never saw _you_ there?"

"Not sure… I think my Mommy said I didn't need to."

"Lucky."

Jack just shrugged. "I guess. By the way… do you know which class I'm supposed to go to?"

"Oh, that's easy, it's where I'm going." Lily said, as she pointed to up ahead. "Right over there."

Jack turned and saw part of a door hidden partially by the corner. "Oh."

"Well, we'd better hurry or we're gonna be late!" Lily said as she gripped his hand. "Come on!"

Jack gasped quietly in surprised and blushed a bit as Lily pulled him away towards the classroom, which put a smile on Jack's face, despite his first few minutes of school not exactly being what he expected. Now he had introducing himself to the class to look forward to, though unknown to him his first meeting with Tank was just a foreshadowing of things still to come…

* * *

 **6-year old Jack voiced by Stuart Allan**

 **6-year old Lily voiced by Tara Strong**

 **7-year old Tank voiced by Thomas F. Wilson**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The door to the classroom opened and soon both Jack and his new friend Lily stepped inside. Jack some more animals around his age already seated at their desks and the moment he stepped inside most of them started staring at him. Jack quickly began to feel uncomfortable once more as well as confused about what they were staring at, Lily however seemed to know why and glared at them all for it.

"Uh… hi?" Jack waved, nervously but the kids continued to stare at him silently.

"Don't worry about them, they've just never seen anything like you before. It'll take them some time to get used to you." Lily explained

"I hope it's not long…" Jack admitted.

"It won't." Lily assured her. "Wanna sit next to me?"

"Uh… sure." Jack nodded, still nervous though he figured they'd leave him alone if he was near Lily and so he began to follow her close behind.

Though as they passed by some of the kids, Jack could still hear them muttering to each other about him.

"Get a load of this guy…" A bear cub named Grizzlepike said to his porcupine friend, Quill.

"Excuse me! Not so close whatever-you-are." A gazelle told Jack as he moved away.

"Sorry!" Jack apologized.

"Don't want to catch whatever hairless disease you got." The gazelle grumbled before he was silenced by a glare from Lily, who turned to Jack.

"Come on," she told him as she pulled him away from the gazelle gently.

Pretty soon Lily sat down at a desk near the corner, with Jack seated right beside her and the moment he did some of the kids scooted their desks further from his. He lowered his head sadly while Lily looked at him sympathetically.

Just then, the door opened and the teacher, a female Moose in a pink shirt and long purple skirt named Miss Antler stepped inside.

"Good morning class," she said. "My name is Miss Antler and I will be your first grade teacher this year, some of you may already know me from Kindergarten class and I'm glad to see so many familiar faces here."

Miss Antler then noticed Jack at the very corner of the room and tilted her head a bit, intrigued.

"Of course… there are _some_ that I _don't_ recognize at all…" she admitted, slowly. "Uh… young mammal?"

Jack jumped a bit. "Uh, yes ma'am?"

"Would you mind coming to the front of the class and introducing yourself to us?" Miss Antler offered.

"O-ok…" Jack responded, nervously as he got out of his seat and began to walk down the isle of desks very slowly.

The bear cub known as Grizzlepike then sees Jack about to pass him and gets a nasty idea as he sticks his foot out right in front of Jack, causing him to fall over and land on his face with a yelp. Nearly everyone in the class laughed at him.

"Whoops. Awww, sorry about that. Did the floor hurt? My bad." Grizzlepike fake apologized.

"Yeah, watch out for that first step freak, it's a loo-loo!" Quill added, mockingly.

Jack rubbed his face and groaned as the other kids continued to laugh at him, filling him with great sadness while Miss Antler tried to settle them down as best she did. Lily, who had quickly grown angry after watching Grizzlepike's stunt quickly stood up.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" she yelled at them all before raising her hand. "Miss Antler, Grizzlepike tripped Jack!"

"Aw, does your _girlfriend_ fight _all_ your battles for you?" Quill mocked him once more.

"Jack's got a girlfriend, Jack's a got a girlfriend!" Grizzlepike sang as everyone started to join in while Jack could only stand on his knees and cover his ears as best as he could while the taunting song continued.

" _Enough_!" Miss Antler finally yelled, shutting them all up. "Mister Grizzlepike, Quill… _corner_. _Now_."

Groaning, the two of them slowly got out of their seats and each went to one of the corners of the room.

"Tattletale." Quill muttered quietly to Lily while Grizzlepike only growled at Jack who finally stood up and continued walking to the front of the class.

"Are you ok, sweetie?" The teacher asked him, concerned.

"Yeah… I'm fine…" Jack responded, still shaken up while he nervously stood before the whole class, who stared at him and quickly made him feel nervous.

"Ok… so… do you mind introducing yourself to everyone?" Miss Antler offered, gently.

Jack nodded and turned to the class. "Uh… hi… my… my name is… Jack Hopps."

"Oh? Like the famous Judy Hopps?" Miss Antler inquired, intrigued.

Jack nodded again. "She's my Mommy," he said before one kid raised his paw.

"Yes?" Miss Antler asked.

"But you're not a bunny. How can she be your Mom?" The kid questioned. Jack seemed unsure of how to answer while Lily looked at him sympathetically, remembering the answer he gave her and how unsure he was back then as well.

Jack continued to remain silent before Miss Antler finally decided to answer for him. "Well, I would assume he's adopted, right dear?" she asked Jack, who seemed surprised when she said 'adopted'.

"I… I… I… guess so…" Jack finally spoke, still shaken while the realization of just how different he and his mother were began to sink in.

Miss Antler bent down to his level. "Well, it shouldn't matter if she loves you, should it?"

"Uh… no?" Jack guessed.

"No, it shouldn't and _doesn't_. You're a lucky boy." His teacher told him, warmly.

"Um, t-thanks…" Jack responded, slowly.

"So Jack, tell us, if you are not a rabbit… then what kind of animal are you?" Miss Antler asked, curiously.

Pretty soon all eyes were on Jack, all of them curious about what Jack's answer was and what exactly he was and because of all that attention he was getting Jack was quickly becoming nervous, jittery and sweating. It soon got to a point where he started to find it hard to breath. Lily noticed just how terrified he looked and started to grow worried. Eventually, Jack found his breath spoke.

"I… I… I don't know…" he finally admitted.

Miss Antler looked surprised. "You don't know?"

Jack shook his head. "No…"

"And… you don't know if your predator or prey either?" His teacher inquired.

The boy shook his head again. "No…"

"Does your adopted mother know?"

"I don't know… she's never told me…"

"And… do you have any… special talents?"

"Well… I'm a fast learner… I know a lot of stuff. But… I'm not super strong… fast… or have super smelling or hearing like Uncle Nick and Mommy do…"

"And what are your hobbies, dear?" Miss Antler questioned.

"Uh… reading and writing I guess…" Jack answered.

One of the students snorted and muttered under his breath. "Nerd…"

The other students, besides Lily, quietly chuckle to themselves while Jack continued to look sad and hurt.

"Well, thank you dear, please take your seat now." Miss Antler instructed.

"Ok…" Jack nodded as he walked back towards his desk, this time though, Grizzlepike and Quill didn't think about tripping him due to Lily watching them both like a hawk until Jack sat down.

"Hey, you ok?" Lily asked Jack, quietly but concerned. The young boy just nodded. "I'm sorry about all that…"

"It's fine, it's just…" Jack began to say.

"Just what?" Lily inquired as Jack began to shake a little in his seat as he struggled to hold back his tears.

"I just… don't get why I'm so different!" Jack suddenly yelled, catching nearly everybody's attention before he abruptly got out of his seat and ran for the door.

"Jack, wait!" Lily cried as she sat up.

"Mister Hopps, come back!" Miss Antler added as he forcefully pushed the door open and ran out in tears.

* * *

And so Jack ran, and ran and ran and ran, straight down the hallway, he didn't really know where he was going as his eyes were shut tight while tears flowed down his face. His mind was in complete disarray as a million questions floated around his head all at once after being hit with so many revelations. He kept wondering what he was, where he came from and just who he was in general and just couldn't find an answer.

He also wondered why his mother never told him that they weren't truly related and if he was supposed to figure it out on his own, and hated himself a bit for not figuring it out sooner when it was so obvious.

Plus, even though he was alone in the halls, he could almost imagine everyone in the school laughing at him and judging him while wondering just what he was.

At least… he _thought_ he was alone. That was, until he heard something that made him screech to a halt.

"I said; fork it over fatty!"

"B-b-but…"

"No buts! Just give it, before Mr. Spots starts wondering where we are!"

He recognized the first voice as Tank, the bull boy from earlier, but he didn't recognize the other voice. And so, out of curiosity, he crept around the corner and saw Tank pressing what appeared to be a young warthog, that was around the same height as the bull boy himself, against a wall. The warthog had short, spiky hair on top of his head, a slightly geeky appearance, a big gut and wore a purple vest and purple glasses with blue jeans.

"You know the deal; you come here at this _exact time_ and give me your money and I won't have to beat you up after school." Tank told him. "Now fork over the cash already."

"But I already told you when school started, I don't have any today! My Mom wouldn't give me my allowance last week!" The scared warthog confessed, shaking like a leaf.

"Well then, I guess there are _other_ ways of making you pay." Tank smirked as he cracked his knuckles. But before he could strike the terrified and nerdy warthog, someone called out to him.

"Leave him alone!"

Tank turned and saw Jack walking over and stopping halfway down the hall, trying to be as brave as he could, despite having a tear stained face. The bull just snorted.

"Get lost, shrimp," he told him. "This has nothing to do with a freak like _you_."

"Well, _I_ think it does." Jack stated. "And if you don't leave him alone right now…"

Tank released the warthog and walked over till he was standing before Jack, practically towering over him and making the little boy's knees shake.

"What? What are you gonna do?" he questioned, threateningly.

"I'm… I'm… I'm gonna tell the teacher on you!" Jack finally said, despite being scared.

Tank just laughed. "You really think _they_ would help _you_! They're just as clueless as _you_ about what you are. They don't care about you! No one does!"

Jack became teary eyed again. "That's not true!"

"So true!" Tank countered. "And even if they _did_ help, would you really wanna be called a snitch!?"

"My Mommy always told me that you should stand up for those who are being picked on, regardless of the consequences." Jack said, bravely. "So I don't care if I _am_ called a snitch! I'm not letting you hurt him!"

"Oh, is that so?" Tank inquired.

Suddenly, before Jack knew it, he was knocked right onto the ground, hard and fast, so fast that he didn't even see it coming. Tank laughed as he approached him.

"Trying to be some kind of hero, squirt? Please! You don't even _belong_ here!" Tank spat as he kicked Jack in the side and sent him rolling. "Oh, and by the way, the ones you mentioned earlier? The ones who also get picked on by guys like me?"

Jack quickly felt himself being lifted off his feet by the bigger and stronger bull boy who promptly threw him into a wall, causing him a great deal of pain.

"They all think you're a freak too!" The bully finished as he approached again and gave Jack a strong hit that knocked his head back down and caused his glasses to fall off and break. "Ya got that?"

The six-year old could only respond with a sob and sniffle as he continued to cry as he stared up a the bully with one of his eyes blackened while his nose started twitching.

"Ha! You're nose is twitching, maybe you are part rabbit… and just as _weak_." Tank declared.

But before he could do anything else, someone else called out to him once again.

"Enough!"

Tank spun around in fear when he saw a tall, lion figure approaching them with a serious face. He vaguely resembled former Mayor Lionheart and was dressed in a suit like him, but the aura around him was different and it was clear that he did _not_ approve of what was happening.

The warthog gasped. "Principal Lyons!"

"P-principal Lyons…?" Tank finally sputtered out, getting nervous for the first time.

"Mister Turnbull, _what_ in the world do you think your _doing_!?" The Principal demanded. "What is this? A school or a jungle?"

"Well, actually…" The warthog began before everyone gave him a look. "Sorry, not helping…"

"Principal Lyons, I wasn't… we were just playing I…" Tank tried to say.

"Silence!" Principal Lyons practically roared. "Report to my office immediately! You should be very ashamed of yourself, what would your parents think of this?"

"Y-You're not gonna tell 'em are you…?" Tank asked, scared.

"Oh, you better believe it." Principal Lyons confirmed, seriously. "Now _go_ , before I lose whatever patience I have left."

Knowing there was nothing he could do, the bull boy begrudgingly began to walk down the hall to Principal Lyons office, though not before giving Jack a nasty glare as he passed.

The Principal leaned down to Jack. "Son, are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

"I… I think so…" The little boy finally said.

Lyons turned to the warthog. "You."

The nerdy warthog jumped a bit. "Uh, yes?" he asked, quickly and nervously.

"Take him to the nurse's office and stay with him, I'll call his mother and let her know what's happened so she can pick him up." Lyons instructed.

"Uh, yes sir!" The warthog nodded.

"Good." Principal Lyons said before he turned and started heading for his office as well while the warthog rushed over to Jack and helped him out.

"Hey, you sure your ok?" he asked, worried. Jack nodded silently. "Good. And uh… thanks for that… really… it meant a lot… no one's ever really stood up for me like that before…"

"Don't mention it…" Jack sighed, exhausted.

"Um… I'm Arnold by the way… Arnold Warthog." The nerd revealed.

"Jack Hopps." The hurt little boy said as they shook hands/hooves.

"Nice to meet you, Jack Hopps." Arnold said.

"Likewise." Jack smiled.

"Well… we'd better get you to the nurse's office." Arnold declared as he stood up.

"Ok…" Jack sighed.

Arnold took Jack's hand, pulled him up and steadied him as he began to help the limping boy down the hall towards the nurse's office and while Jack's body was sore, he did find comfort in being able to help someone in need and forge a friendship with a fellow misfit.

* * *

 **Mark Dindal as Quill**

 **Phil Johnston as Grizzlepike**

 **Kevin Michael Richardson as Principal Lyons**

 **Allyce Beasley as Miss Antler**

 **J.B Smoove as Arnold Warthog**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Soon enough, Jack was outside the school sitting on the playground's swings, waiting for his adopted mother to come pick him up and still looking quite depressed, with a black eye to boot. He held in his hands his broken glasses and as he sat there staring down at them, little tear drops from his eyes fell on the cracked glass one by one.

He tried to hold back his tears but he was obviously failing and would have broken into a crying fit if a certain someone hadn't spoken up behind him.

"Uh… hi."

Jack turned and saw that it was his new friend, Arnold Warthog, standing nearby looking concerned.

"Oh… hello Arnold." Jack acknowledged him.

"You… ok?" The warthog inquired.

"I guess so…" Jack shrugged.

"You could have fooled _me_."

The two boys turned toward the source of the third voice and saw Lily herself approaching the playset.

"Lily!" The little boy said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard what happened, came to see if you were alright." Lily replied before noticing his black eye. "Jack! Your eye!"

Jack quickly covered it. "It's fine… it doesn't hurt that much…"

"He got that trying to protect me…" Arnold said, feeling guilty.

"It's not your fault, Arnold." Jack assured him.

"No, it's _Tank's_ fault, that jerk…!" Lily growled angry.

"Yeah… Principal Lyons is dealing with him now and I almost feel sorry for him… almost." Arnold admitted.

"Oh…" Jack sighed. The two mammals near him exchanged concerned glances and then looked at him.

"You… mind if we sit here with you?" Lily questioned.

Jack nodded. "Ok. Go ahead."

Lily and Arnold then went over and sat down on one of the swings next to Jack, Arnold caused the swing set to bend a little bit due to his weight but none of them seemed to notice.

Arnold saw Jack holding his glasses and began to feel guilty once again. "Sorry about your glasses…" he said.

"Thanks… they were a present from my Mommy… although… I'm not even sure if I should call her that anymore…" Jack confessed, sadly.

"Why would you say that?" Lily asked, surprised. "Because your not a rabbit? Because she adopted you? Is that way?"

"I don't know…" Jack muttered.

"Jack, it shouldn't matter that your not related, because it _doesn't_." Lily told him. "Family is about _bond_ , not just blood."

"Yeah, and your lucky to have a Mom that loves you that way… mine is so mean that she once threatened to ground me till I'm _thirty_ …" Arnold admitted, gulping. Both Jack and Lily looked at him, curiously.

"And did she?" Lily inquired.

"Well… after _today_ she will…" Arnold bemoaned.

"Sorry…" Jack said, sadly.

"No, no, hey! It's ok! You totally saved me… even if you did get more beat up then me." Arnold shrugged.

"Not helping." Lily scolded him.

"Sorry." Arnold quickly apologized.

"I'm also not even sure if I should keep coming here or if… Mommy will even let me… everyone at this school _hates_ me…" Jack muttered, depressed.

Looking at him sympathetic, Lily leaned to the side and gave Jack a quick peck on the cheek, surprising him. " _I_ don't," she said, sweetly.

"Hey, me neither!" Arnold added. "Course… I'm gonna kiss you since… you know…"

The three kids all shared a laugh before they began to hear a police siren approaching, and with it a large ZPD Police Cruiser coming around the corner.

"Here comes my Mom." Jack observed.

"Ooh! Officer Judy Hopps! I've only seen her in newspaper's and TV, now I'm gonna see her in person!" Arnold squealed, excited.

Lily nudged him. "Focus! This is not the time."

"Sorry… again." Arnold apologized once more while Jack gulped as his mother pulled up in front of the school and right near the playground.

The door quickly swung open and Judy immediately leapt out of the driver's seat, ran around the car and began to dash towards her son.

"Jack! Baby!" she practically sobbed with worry in her voice.

"Mommy!" Jack called out as he got off the swing and ran over to her.

The two soon met halfway and embraced each other tightly, either one of them seemed to want to let go and tears were already beginning to stream down both of their faces.

"Oh… I'm so, _so_ sorry this happened…!" Judy cried. She moved back to get a better look of Jack. "Are you ok!?"

"I'm ok, Mommy…" Jack nodded as she rubbed his face and inspected his eye, gasping in horror.

"Oh, your eye! And your glasses…" Judy began before Jack held them out.

"They kinda… broke. I'm sorry Mommy…" Jack said, sadly before his mother hugged him again.

"Sweetie, you have _nothing_ to apologize for." Judy told him, firmly. "This is all _my_ fault…"

"Your fault?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Yes… I promised you a long time ago that I'd never let anyone hurt you… and I failed…" Judy stated, sadly.

Jack wiped the tears from his adopted mother's face. "Don't cry Mommy, I'm fine… and I did what you taught me; I stood up for someone… and I made friends! Look," he told her as he turned and gestured to Lily and Arnold walking over.

"Oh! Hello." Judy acknowledged them as she faced the two kids.

"Hi, Officer Hopps. I'm Lily Clawson, it's an _honor_ to meet you." Lily expressed. "I'm a huge fan."

"Me too! Me too!" Arnold added, waving his head.

"Really? Well, thank you." Judy smiled, gratefully.

"And… we want to apologize to…" Lily admitted, lowering her head.

"Yeah… your son got hurt protecting _me_ …" Arnold said, depressed.

"And I should have gone after him when he left the class…" Lily added.

Judy saw how guilty they both looked and how much they seemed to care for Jack, despite having just met him and smiled. "Hey, look, listen you two," she told them. They both looked to her. "This isn't either of your faults. If anything, I should be thanking you _both_ for being there for Jack when he needed it."

Lily nodded. "It was our pleasure."

"Totally…" Arnold added before he reached into his pocket to take out his inhaler but ended up dropping it. "Whoops! Uh… could one of you help me grab that? I… can't bend over."

Lily sighed and face palmed a bit in annoyance while Jack quickly reached down and held it up without a second thought.

"Thanks," The warthog said, gratefully as he took it.

"Ok, well, I guess we should get going now, huh?" Judy suggested.

Jack nodded. "Ok, Mommy. Bye you guys…" he said as Judy took his hand and led him to the car.

Lily waved to him. "Bye, Jack! I hope we see you soon!" she called out.

"And if possible; do you think your Mom could give me her autograph?" Arnold added before Lily nudged him in the gut to keep him quiet.

Jack and Judy soon hopped into the Police Cruiser and drove off down the street while the jaguar and the warthog watched them go.

* * *

Things were quiet during the car ride home, with Jack continuing to gaze out the window sadly and looking ashamed while Judy noticed how depressed her son looked but didn't know what to say him to. Eventually, she finally found the words.

"You… wanna talk about it?" she inquired.

"No…" Jack mumbled.

Judy gazed at her son, sadly and also caught him noticing the looks he was given by various animals that they passed by on their way home, causing Judy to speed up a little bit until they reached their house and parked in the driveway. Jack and Judy quickly hopped out and began to walk to the house.

"Hey, you want something to eat? You can have whatever you'd like." Judy offered, hoping it would cheer him up but Jack simply walked ahead, sighing.

"Maybe later… I wanna be alone right now…" he said. Judy's ears drooped while she watched her son enter the house and close the door behind him. She also turned and noticed some animals staring before giving them all a glare that quickly made them stop before walking in herself.

Jack soon found himself in his room, just sitting on the bed holding his broken glasses in his hands, still depressed over having his ideal first day of school shattered before him. He soon put the glasses aside and took a small hand mirror. He gazed at his reflection for a bit, thoughtfully, before he suddenly grew frustrated and tossed it into the wall out of anger, shattering it. Jack turned and buried his face in his pillow as he began to sob.

He heard the door open a crack, but didn't move. Judy then poked her head inside, looking worried.

"Uh… hey…" she said, as she stepped inside slowly. "I… wanted to see how you were doing…"

Jack just moaned a little bit. Taking it as her cue to enter, Judy walked over to her son's bed and sat down near him while leaning over and rubbing his back affectionately.

"Oh sweetie…" she cooed.

Jack raised his head. "I'm sorry…" he said with a hiccup.

Judy tilted her head, surprised. "Sorry? For what?"

"For all the trouble… and… for not being a bunny…" Jack sniffed as he rubbed his wet eyes and raised himself up before wrapping his arms around his legs.

"Jack…" Judy said, seriously as she scooted over and gripped his shoulder. "It doesn't matter that your not a bunny, what matters is that your _my son_ and I _love you_."

Jack sniffed again and turned to her. "But… your not even related to me… I'm the only… _me_ in Zootopia… and no one knows where I came from or… where my other parents are…"

Judy glanced away sadly, knowing that he had a bit of a point but still she got closer. "Maybe we're not… but that doesn't change the fact that your very important to me, Jack and no matter what anyone says, your perfect the way you are."

"Then how come no one at school likes me…?" Jack inquired.

"Not _everyone_ Jack, remember those nice kids you met today? Lily and Arnold?" Judy reminded him.

"Oh yeah…" The little boy recalled.

"As for the rest, well… sometimes mammals judge other mammals before they get a chance to know them and a lot of times those mammals will try to tell you what you can or can't be because of what you are and what you are capable of. But you shouldn't listen to them. You got that?" Judy told him. "If you want to do something or be something then you go after it, keep trying and eventually… everyone will see you for who and what you really are…"

"Like you?" Jack asked, curiously.

Judy smiled, sweetly. "Yeah… like me," she confirmed. Then, something crossed her mind that made her think. "And you know something… not knowing what you are kind of gives you an advantage."

"It does?" Jack responded, surprised.

"Yeah! Because no one knows what you are, they don't know what your capable of, so they can't fully judge you for what you are." Judy revealed to him. "You can test your limits, try a dozen different things, be whatever you wanna be. _That's_ what makes you special here in Zootopia."

Jack smiled, comforted by his adopted mother's words. "Thanks, Mommy…"

"Your welcome." Judy nodded before playfully pulling him over. "Now come here!"

Jack began to laugh as Judy tickled him all over, laid him across her lap and blew a raspberry into his stomach, making him laugh even harder. He grabbed onto her and the two of them rolled around on the bed laughing and crying and virtually forgetting about their problems.

They then hear a knock at the door.

"Uh, yes, come in!" Judy called out as the door open.

Nick stepped inside. "Hey, I heard what happened. Sorry it took me so long, Bogo needed something… don't ask. Am I interrupting."

Judy and Jack both sat up. "Uh, no, not at all. Glad you could make it." The bunny said, appreciatively.

Nick then saw the black eye Jack and was very surprised. "Whoa, nice shiner kid," he remarked. "Bet the other guy looked even worse, huh?"

"Nick!" Judy scolded.

"What? Just asking." Nick shrugged.

"No… I couldn't lay a finger on him… he's just way to big for me…" Jack said, depressed.

"Well, you should always use violence as a _last resort_." Judy told Jack, firmly.

"How come you don't remember that when we're out on patrol… and you use my arm as a _punching bag_?" Nick questioned, rubbing said arm.

"Because most of the time… you deserve it." Judy answered with a grin while Jack snickered slightly.

"Har, har… so what happened?" Nick inquired.

"He stood up for another kid at his school…" Judy explained while rubbing her son's back comfortingly.

"I got beat up…" Jack muttered.

"Aw, I'm sorry pal…" Nick said, sympathetically as he bent down to his level. "Well, don't worry, believe it or not, I lost my fair share of fights and I came out alright."

"Relatively speaking." Judy quipped.

"Ignoring that." Nick said, glaring at the bunny annoyed.

"Plus… a lot of the other kid's laughed at me… called me a freak." Jack added, even more depressed.

Nick gazed at the kid with an empathetic look, as he remembered his own traumatic childhood experience and how similar it was to Jack's. "They did huh?" he remarked. Jack silently nodded while Nick put a paw on his shoulder. "Well… listen kid, I know how you feel, believe me, I've been there. You're Mom too."

Jack looked at Judy surprised, who gave him a confirming nod.

"Neither of our childhood's were a lot of fun, but we moved past it… more or less, and you have to as well… never let them see that they get to you. That's what I kept telling myself ever since… well what happened… happened…" Nick continued, not wanting to go into full details about his scout incident. "And right now, that's what you gotta do."

"And most of all; be yourself." Judy added.

"But… how can I not let them get to me?" Jack asked, confused and concerned. "I think about trying to ignore it but… the things they say hurt so bad…"

"I know they do kid, I know…" The fox nodded, patting him gently. "But I can teach you how, if you'll let me."

"You'd do that?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Of course! What kind of honorary uncle would I be if I didn't?" Nick smirked.

"A horrible one?" Judy guessed, playfully.

"Good one…" Nick responded with good humor.

Jack then got another idea in his head. "And… Uncle Nick?" he spoke up, catching their attention. "Can you teach me how to fight?"

Both his honorary uncle and adopted mother were surprised.

"Fight? But why would you want to do _that_?" Judy questioned, confused.

"To defend myself and… I want to protect the new friend's I made better…" Jack confessed as he thought about Arnold and Lily. He looked up at Nick, pleadingly. "Will you help me?"

Nick was surprised that his honorary nephew was asking _him_ on how to fight even though he had just told him he lost the fights he had been in many times and was touched by the notion. Though he knew that he couldn't teach him much about combat as the little boy continued to stare at him he knew he had to help, and that's when he got an idea.

"Well… truth is… I don't know much about teaching you how to fight, kid…" Nick admitted, saddening Jack before Nick put on his usual confident smile. "But, I'll take you to someone who _can_."

Jack looked at Nick with a surprised expression this time, Judy too, while Nick continued to smirk, leaving the two to wonder what he was thinking.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

A week or two later, after Jack's eye had healed and Judy had gotten him new round glasses that were similar to his old one's, it was time for Nick to show him to someone who he promised would teach Jack how to fight and protect himself. At the moment, the three of them were all riding in the Police Cruiser together.

"So, Nick, you gonna tell us where we're going or are you gonna keep us in suspense the whole time?" Judy questioned.

"Well… that last one _is_ tempting…" Nick admitted with a smirk.

"Nick!" Judy said, annoyed.

"Just kidding." Nick chuckled.

"Please, Uncle Nick? At least give us a hint." Jack begged.

"Uh-uh, no hints, I like to maintain the element of surprise." Nick stated. "Ask your mother."

Jack looked towards his mother, who gave him a shrug while they kept on driving.

The ride soon ended when Nick parked in front of something, though with the sun shining in both Judy and Jack's eyes it was a bit hard for them to see what it was.

"Well, here we are." Nick announced while the two got out of the car and were surprised when they got a better look of where they were; ZPD Headquarters.

"The station?" Judy asked, surprised. She turned to Nick. "Why are we _here_?"

"You'll see." Nick promised.

"Wow! This is where Mommy works!" Jack said in amazement as he looked up at the building.

"Yeah, you've actually been here a few times when you were a lot smaller and younger, kid. Remember?" Nick reminded him.

"Oh yeah!" Jack recalled. "It's so cool!"

"Wait… is the trainer _here_?" Judy questioned Nick, with realization in her voice.

"Sure is." Nick nodded.

Judy looked at him suspiciously. "It's not Finnick, is it?"

"Oh no, Finnick has a temper sure, but he'd never hurt a little kid, he doesn't have it in him." Nick shrugged.

"But this guy _does_?" Judy inquired.

"To a degree." Nick shrugged as he and Judy began walking towards the station.

"Not sure whether that's a _good_ thing or a _bad_ thing…" Judy admitted, a little nervous.

"Relax, it'll be fine, just trust me on this, ok?" Nick requested.

"Wha-hoo!" Jack cheered as he ran ahead towards ZPD Headquarters.

"Jack, don't run too far ahead!" Judy called out.

"Ah, he's excited, kid needs that, better then thinking about how badly some punk kid beat him up." Nick pointed out.

"That's true but I…" Judy began to say.

"Relax Carrots, the kid just needs to learn how stand on his own. There _will_ be a time when he needs your help however and a time when he _doesn't_. It's important to know the difference." Nick reminded her.

Judy sighed. "You're right."

"Of course I am, it's me." Nick said, proudly.

"Uh-huh?" Judy remarked, amused and unconvinced. "By the way, you sure know a lot about this stuff."

"Well, I read… and I'm a lot older then you." Nick pointed out, a bit smugly.

"Only by eight years!" Judy defended.

"And oh, what a difference do those eight years make, huh _kiddo_?" Nick teased her.

Judy groaned in annoyance as they continued to proceed ahead.

* * *

They all soon entered the building and Jack was quickly marveled at how wide it was and how high the ceilings were.

" _Wow_! This place is _huge_!" he remarked.

"Yeah, that's what I thought when _I_ first stepped through those doors." Judy admitted, smiling.

"And you should see the chairs kid, or at the very least _try_ to get up onto it." Nick smirked.

Judy looked toward the front desk and was surprised that there wasn't anyone there, not Clawhauser nor someone that substituted for him on certain occasions.

"Hey… where's Clawhauser?" she asked.

Nick looked stumped also. "Huh… I could have sworn he'd be here today… I know _we_ have the day off but not _him_."

"Clawhauser!" Judy called out.

"Hey Spots! Where ya at?" Nick added before they heard a bit of a ruckus coming from the front desk. "Well, that answers _that_."

Judy, Nick and Jack walk over to the front desk and grab onto the ledge to lift themselves up and peer over it as much as they could.

"Hello?" Judy spoke up before the noise got louder and a large individual with a bucket on his head suddenly rose up with a yelp.

"Gah! What is that!?" he exclaimed, alarmed making Jack scream in fear before dropping down.

"Jack!" Judy cried out in worry as she dropped down as well and hugged him as he whimpered in fear. "It's ok… it's ok… Mommy's here…"

"Officer Hopps?" The bucket headed mammal asked, surprised.

"Spots? Is that you?" Nick asked, surprised.

"Nick?" The bucket headed one inquired, more surprised before pulling said bucket off his head, with a little bit of effort due to his head being so big, and revealing himself to be Clawhauser. He smiled when he saw them. "Oh hey guys! How's it going?"

"How's it going? You just scared my son half to death!" Judy scolded him as she continued to comfort her child.

Clawhauser gasped. "I am so sorry, I was eating a bucket full of bug nuggets and fell asleep."

"And how did the bucket get on your _head_?" Nick questioned.

Clawhauser stared at the bucket, dumbfounded. "I have no idea…" he admitted, stunned.

"Of course…" Nick sighed.

Clawhauser leaned over the desk a bit to look at Jack. "Hey there, little guy, _really_ sorry about scaring you, I'm a nice guy, just ask anyone!"

Jack looked up at Clawhauser. "Hello,"

"Aw! Hey, Judy, is it ok if I call _him_ cute?" The cheetah asked.

"I suppose so, not sure if it's insulting if someone that's not his kind calls another mammal like him 'cute'… since we don't any else of course…" Judy admitted.

"Uh… I heard I 'suppose so' so… aren't you cute little guy?" Clawhauser gushed as he reached down and rubbed Jack's head affectionately. The first grader giggled.

"Ok, now that the cute fest is over, is you-know-who still here?" Nick asked the chubby cheetah.

Benjamin nodded. "Oh yeah! Always! I think he's waiting for you right now."

Nick gave him a two finger wave. "Much obliged. Let's go!" he told the others.

"Go… _where_ exactly?" Judy inquired.

"The exercise room, that's where Jack's new trainer is waiting." Nick stated as he went on ahead. "And… he doesn't like to be kept waiting, you know?"

"Hates to wait? There's only other mammal I know like that and it's…" Judy began before her eyes lit up with realization. "Oh _no_ … you don't mean…"

"Oh, I mean." Nick nodded.

* * *

Before they knew it, the three of them were in the training room where a large, boxing ring was already set up and in the middle of it was none other then Chief Bogo himself.

"Hopps," he said, acknowledging her presence.

"Hi… Chief…" Judy waved, a little bit nervous.

"Glad you and your son could make it." Bogo told her.

"Likewise… hey, Nick?" Judy said, leaning to the fox. "Can we talk for a second?"

"Sure Car…" Nick began before Judy grabbed his arm and forcefully pulled him away. "Whoa!"

"We'll be back in a minute sweetheart, you just stay here with Bogo." Judy told Jack without turning around while she and Nick exited the training room. Jack looked up at Bogo with his big blue eyes and blinked with an innocent expression.

"Stop staring at me like that." The buffalo told him.

"Sorry…" The boy apologized, glancing away.

"It's creepy." Chief Bogo added.

While Jack waited with Bogo, Judy and Nick were just outside the training room, with the door closed, so that Jack and Bogo could not hear Judy yelling at Nick, which was exactly what she was doing.

"Are you out of your mind!?" she exclaimed.

"Hey! I told you I'd take him to someone who can train him and I have!" Nick defended.

"I thought you meant Finnick!" Judy confessed.

"You kidding? That guy's bark is worse then his bite plus he's even shorter and weaker then the kid! Only Bogo can toughen him up." Nick stated.

"Bogo could seriously hurt him!" The bunny mother stressed.

"Relax! The chief may be a bit of a jerk but he'd never hurt a little kid, everyone has standards you know." Nick reminded her. "The worst he could do is not care if the kid _does_ get hurt, which he probably _will_ …"

"Are you _trying_ to freak me out!?" Judy asked, stressed.

"Trust me Carrots, ok? Bogo is the perfect training partner for Jack, he'll make him strong." Nick assured her. "Besides, it's not there's a whole line of other qualified mammals right behind us."

Judy sighed. "You're right… you're right… but I still worry…"

"Of course you do, you're his Mom, that kinda comes with the job." Nick reminded her as he turned and went back into the Gym. Hearing Nick say these words and being told that she really was his mother greatly brightened Judy's spirits and made her smile warmly before going back inside herself.

When they arrived back in the Gym, they saw that Bogo and Jack, now in a ZPD training uniforms similar to one Judy and Nick wore during their academy days plus wrestling gloves and a helmet, were already getting started and preparing to box a little.

Jack waved to Judy. "Hi, Mommy!" he said. Judy smiled and waved back before Bogo stomped on the arena, making the little boy jump.

"Pay attention! First rule; never take your eyes off your opponent, got it?" Bogo told him.

"Y-y-yes sir." Jack nodded, shaking.

"Be careful, Jack!" Judy called out.

"Hopps! Don't baby him." Chief Bogo ordered her. "This is between him and me."

Judy sighed in defeat and nodded while Jack and Chief Bogo began to circle each other in the ring.

"Now, Jack, I want you to come at me and hit me as hard as you can." Bogo told him.

"What?" Jack said, surprised. "B-but… you're bigger then me… and I can't jump high like Mommy…"

"Doesn't matter!" Bogo snapped.

"Huh?"

"The size of the opponent doesn't matter and neither is how different you are from your adoptive mother."

"It doesn't?"

"No. When fighting you must use your _brain_ , as well as your fists. _Think_ before you act, got it!?

Jack nodded quickly and quickly rushed over to Bogo and punched him in the shin, which didn't seem to phase him and made him quickly kick the kid away and onto the his back.

"Jack!" Judy exclaimed, worried.

"Good, but try again! Observe your opponent, find their weak spot and exploit it!" Bogo told Jack as he stood back up.

The little boy nodded, then caught notice of Bogo's small tail and rushed over again. The chief prepared to grab him but the unknown mammal slid under his legs and popped back up behind him where he jumped a few times before managing to grab Bogo's tail and pull down on it.

Bogo's eyes narrow to a pinpoint as he let out a sharp squeak while Judy and Nick winced at this.

"Ooh… going for the tail… that is one scary little kid…" Nick remarked.

Bogo quickly growled with anger, reached back and grabbed the little boy before tossing him over to the other side of the ring, hard. He hit the floor hard and slid across it for a bit.

Judy quickly became more and more worried as she shook like a leaf. "Ooh… I don't know if I can watch this…" she admitted, teary eyed.

Nick adjusted his collar and cleared his throat. "Yeah… I think I'm right there with ya…"

Jack laid down on the floor, holding his leg and crying a little bit before Bogo's shadow loomed over him, filling him with fear, especially when he began to imagine Tank in his place which made him scream.

"Ah! No! Don't hurt me!" he exclaimed.

"Relax kid." Bogo said. Jack noticed the image of Tank turning back into Bogo and began to relax. The chief extended a hoof to him. "Here."

"Uh… thank you…" Jack started to say as he reached up and took the hoof before Bogo knocked him down again.

Judy gasped and quickly started to get angry. "Chief you…" she began to say before Nick grabbed her and covered her mouth, though she did still let out some muffled yells.

"Remember; in a fight, your opponent isn't gonna fight fair and when it comes to life or death, neither should you." Chief Bogo told him. "You got that?"

Jack nodded then raised a foot and kicked Bogo right in the groin, causing to let out a high pitched squeak, cover his 'little special place' and drop to his knees. His eyes rolled back as he continued to groan while Judy and Nick winced again.

"Ooh…" They both remarked, sympathetically.

"Boy, never thought the kid had it in him." Nick admitted, surprised.

Jack quickly got up and became worried. "Sorry! I'm… I'm sorry!" he said upset before Bogo grabbed him and pulled him forward.

" _Don't_ … _ever_ … say you're sorry…" he managed to let out, breathing heavily. "In a fight… it's either _you_ … or the other guy… just make sure _your_ not the one getting knocked down… like… _this_!"

Bogo quickly struck back and knocked the six-year old down once again and Nick also had to restrain Judy once more, despite looking worried himself.

"Ow!" Jack said, holding his arm and becoming teary eyed. "That hurt!"

"Stop your crying! If you want to stand up to your bully, then you gotta be _tough_! Be willing to take the hits! Not run and cry! That is for _cowards_! Are _you_ a coward?" Bogo questioned him as he stood up.

"No…" Jack shook his head.

"Are you!?" Bogo asked again, only louder.

"No!" Jack yelled.

"Then prove it!" Bogo challenged him. "Hit me back as hard as you can!"

Jack then seemed to growl in anger and charged towards Bogo and punched him in the chin, though the buffalo wasn't fazed by it.

"Harder!" he said. Jack hit him again, still nothing. "Harder!"

Jack hit him and hit him and hit him though it was like punching a brick wall, with little to no effect whatsoever. Eventually, Jack ran out of breath.

"Come on now, boy, this is embarrassing." The chief told him. "If you want your bully to back down, you have to show 'em you mean business. You may not be the one who _started_ the fight, nor should you _ever_ , but you had better be the one to _finish it_."

"But… but you're so big…" Jack pointed out.

"Fine then, how about I get you something more easier to damage?" Bogo offered before turning to Judy and Nick. "Hopps, Wilde, get me that punching bag over there."

The two silently nodded and walked over to one, and despite the fact that it was heavy and took the both of them to carry, and practically _push_ , they managed to get it over to the ring, though their legs and arms looked like they were about to go out. Once they were close enough, Bogo picked it up with ease and placed it in front of Jack.

"Now, pretend _this_ is your bully and get _angry_." Chief Bogo stated.

"But… I don't know if I can…" Jack admitted, shamefully.

Bogo gave him a casual face. "Sure, I get it, it doesn't make you mad that your bully hurt your new friend, does it now?"

This seemed to strike a chord in Jack as he hit the punching bag in front of him while remembering what Tank nearly did to Arnold.

"Ah, so it _does_ make you mad… and what about how he walked all over you, called you weak, gave you a black eye?" Bogo continued, practically taunting the little boy who started hitting the bag even harder. "Why, I'll bet your not even scared or upset about the possibly that he'd probably hurt you're mother if she tried to stop him."

The moment Jack pulled his arm back, Bogo took his hoof off the bag while Jack punched it hard and fast, knocking it right over and sliding it to the other side of the ring, much to his adopted mother and honorary uncle's amazement.

"Wow… remind me not to get that kid mad." Nick remarked to Judy, stunned.

"Not to shabby, boy." Bogo admitted. "If I were able to feel proud I would… but I don't."

"Thank you, thank you chief, that's really inspiring." Nick called out, sarcastically.

"Zip. It." Bogo warned Nick through gritted teeth, clearly looking annoyed.

"So… what's next…?" Jack panted, trying to catch his breath.

"Now the training _really_ begins." Bogo smirked while he crouched down a little so that Jack could see and face his gloved hooves. "Try to jab each of them once then a side kick, got it?"

"Uh…" Jack said, unsure though Bogo wasn't giving him any time to ponder it.

"Go!" Bogo ordered. Jack quickly got to work and punched each of Bogo's gloves with his right and then left fist. "One, two… kick!"

Jack performed a strong side kick that Bogo blocked with both gloves.

"Again! One, two… kick!" The chief said as the process repeated itself again and again while Judy and Nick watched, proudly.

* * *

The next day, Jack was back at school, much to the surprise and disdain of many, particularly Tank though Lily and Arnold were pleased to have him back and welcome him with open arms. At the time, lunch was just starting and everyone was seated outside and eating their homemade meals together.

Jack exited the school and began to look around for his friends, and he did when he saw Arnold waving.

"Jack! Over here! Saved you a seat!" he said.

The little boy smiled warmly and began to walk over to them, but Tank suddenly blocked his way.

"Where do you think _your_ going, twerp?" he questioned.

"To my friends, now please let me pass." Jack requested, politely.

" _Please_! A loser like you doesn't even have 'friends', I'm surprised they even let you come back here." Tank admitted. "Considering your such a _freak_ of nature!"

"Ok, I am _really_ getting tired of being called that." Jack admitted, looking very annoyed. "My name is _Jack_ , maybe you should write it down on your hoof so you can remember it."

"Get this straight twerp; you don't belong here! Zootopia is for _mammals_ , whether you like it or not." Tank stated.

"I _am_ a mammal!" Jack stated.

"Like I'm supposed to believe _you_ ; the kid who got me into so much trouble! Now get lost!" Tank said, angrily.

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Go chew a can," he shot back. This made many of the other kid mammals and turn to where Jack and Tank were facing off.

"Oh boy… this could get…" Grizzlepike began.

" _Very_ ugly." Quill finished. "But hey, it's _his_ funeral."

"Should we stop him?" Arnold asked Lily, worried.

"No… I believe our new friend has this all under control." Lily assured them. "Watch."

"You wanna fight me, punk? Is that what you want!?" Tank demanded.

"No. We don't have to do this, but I'm _not_ afraid of you anymore, Tank." Jack stated, firmly. "Now walk away."

"Or _what_?" Tank threatened.

"Or I will be forced to make you, and you won't like how." Jack told him.

Tank snorted with anger as he rushed towards Jack blind with fury and because of this Jack was easily able to sidestep and trip him, causing the young bull to hit the ground hard. Most of the mammals watching starting clapping and cheering.

But the bull boy wasn't fully down for the count as he quickly stood up and charged toward Jack again and this time, Jack didn't move but instead grabbed his arm and pulled it away from him while using his other hand to palm strike the bully in the gut. Tank choked a bit as the attack seemed to knock the air out of him and made him drop to his knees. Everyone winced at this.

Tank growled as he struggled to lift himself up. "Why you…!?" he began before he felt a sharp pain in his rear that seemed to sap him of all his strength and saw that Jack was now pulling his tail.

"I'd say 'uncle' if I were you," he advised.

Swallowing his pride and wanting the pain to be over, Tank growled. "Fine… uncle."

"Thank you." Jack nodded as he released Tank's tail.

Tank growled as he got back up. "Your time will come freak, you'll see!" he promised as he stomped off. The rest of the kid's all started to cheer and jump for joy while Jack looked around, smiling brightly.

Lily walked up to him along with Arnold. The jaguar high fived him. "Jack! Nice work!" she said. "I knew you could do it!"

"Yeah, that was _awesome_!" Arnold exclaimed.

"Thanks guys." Jack smiled back.

"And _wowzers_ … where did you learn those moves!?" The warthog asked, amazed.

"Mommy's boss taught me." Jack replied.

"Chief Bogo?"

"Yeah. He's kind of a meanie but he's actually deep down or rather… deep, _deep_ down as Uncle Nick would say."

"Well, hopefully now kid's here will start being nice to you."

"Maybe… but right now I'm just glad _you guys_ like me." Jack admitted as he bought them in for a hug. "You're the best friends I ever had!"

"Aw!" Arnold gushed. "Now I'm getting misty…!"

Arnold took a handkerchief and blew his nose into it, much to Lily's disgust.

"Gross… but, we feel the same way, Jack," she told him sweetly as the three of them continued their group hug while everyone resumed their lunches around them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

10 years later

It was once again time for the Hopps family reunion. Members of the Hopps family from all over Bunnyburrow, Zootopia and beyond were heading for the Hopps farm to meet up with all their old relatives as well introduce some new ones too. Notable members were the now elderly Bonnie and Stu plus a grown up Cotton; Judy's favorite niece, as well as her other 275 brothers and sisters and their children as well and of course, Jack and Judy themselves.

Stu was just bringing in some more food and putting it on the extremely long table at the time when Bonnie enters.

"Everything ok, Stu dear?" she asked.

Stu turned and acknowledged her. "Oh! Yeah! Everything's good bun-bun and almost everyone is ready."

"What about Judy and Jack?" Bonnie inquired.

"I just called 'em, they said they'd be here soon." Stu informed.

"Oh, I can't wait to see Judy again, and Jack of course, it's been so long since their last visit." Bonnie remarked, smiling.

"Well, their busy folks, especially Judy, what with protecting the city of course." Stu pointed out.

"I know, I know…" Bonnie nodded. Then, as if on cue, the doorbell rang, catching their attentions.

"Well, speak of the devil!" Stu remarked as he began to walk over to the front door..

Once the old rabbit opened it, he smiled widely when he saw none other then his daughter Judy herself standing on the other side.

"Jude!" he exclaimed, happily. "Good to see you, sweetie!"

"Hi, Dad." Judy smiled back as they hugged.

"Is that Judy I hear?" Bonnie called out from another room.

"Sure is, hon! Come on over!" Stu replied as Bonnie quickly appeared and smiled at her daughter.

"Judy! You're here!" Bonnie beamed as she rushed over and hugged her daughter.

"Mom…" Judy said, warmly. Bonnie then looked Judy over concerned.

"You seem thin dear, have you been on a diet recently?" she inquired.

"Aw, Mom…" Judy complained, embarrassed.

"Sorry, we've just been hopping anxious waiting for ya." Stu admitted.

"Yeah, sorry about that… the traffic was _murder_." Judy confessed. "I got so sick of it I had to turn on my siren to get everyone to move."

"Well, those things are good for something I guess." Stu shrugged, smiling.

"By the way, how's that nice fox friend of yours? Nick, right?" Bonnie asked, curiously.

"He's… Nick. That's all I can say." Judy smirked.

"Sweet cheese and crackers, you're going out!?" Stu blurted out, surprised.

"What?" Bonnie asked, very stunned also.

"What!?" Multiple voices from upstairs exclaimed.

"No. No! We're just friends! That's all!" Judy denied. Her parents just raised a brow at her. "Guys!"

"Oh, hey, speaking of fella's, where's your boy?" Stu asked, looking around.

"Yes, where's Jack?" Bonnie added.

"On his way, he just got caught up playing his new video game." Judy revealed, shaking her head. "Can't seem to get it away from him these days…"

"I feel your pain, dear." Bonnie nodded, sympathetically.

"Jack!" Judy yelled outside.

"I'm coming, Mom!" They heard a teenage voice yell back.

"Oh! His voice has changed!" Bonnie realized, surprised.

"Yeah, and that's not all that's changed." Judy said with a knowing smile.

"What do you mean?" Her Dad asked, not understanding what she was getting at.

"Just come outside, you'll see." Judy assured them as she began to pull them outside the house.

When they got outside they both looked up and gasped at the teenage son of Judy, Jack himself. Now sixteen he looked to be around the same height as Clawhauser, with shaggier hair and a lean build that he got from practicing karate for years. He still had his round pair of glasses as well as a purplish-red t-shirt with a rabbit on the front over a striped gray shirt, dark pants and gray shoes.

"Hi Grandma, hey Grandpa," he waved.

"Jack?" Bonnie finally said. "My lord, is that you?"

"It's me, really." Jack assured them.

"Well, I'll be a rotten tomato, you grew up faster then most of the carrots we got growing at the farm!" Stu remarked.

"Yeah, I uh… hit a growth spurt." Jack said, rubbing the back of his head, embarrassed.

"You sure did." Stu nodded.

"To be honest I almost didn't recognize you right away." Bonnie confessed.

"Yeah, I probably wouldn't either." Jack nodded. "I've even started to grow hair on my chest and… other places."

"What kind of places?" Stu inquired.

"You don't wanna know…" Jack told him, uncomfortably.

"He's right, you don't." Judy added, shaking her head with a look that told them that she knew what she was talking about.

"Well… ok then, care to come inside?" Stu offered.

"I would… course I'm not sure I'd fit…" Jack admitted.

Stu looked at Jack up and down and quickly saw his point. "Oh! Yes. Right uh… well… why don't we all come outside to you?"

"If you want to." Jack shrugged.

Stu turned to the open door and yelled. "Hey kids! Come on out and see your old cousin Jack!" he called out before a small rumbling was heard.

Pretty soon, over a hundred bunnies, both tall and super small came rushing out to greet Jack, who looked like a towering giant to them and they were all chattering at once as well as yelling and requesting a piggy back ride.

"Hi, Jack!"

"We missed you!"

"Wow, you got so tall!"

"Can I ride on your head?"

"I wanna go first!"

"No way! I want to!"

"Whoa guys, easy! Let's calm down for a second, ok?" Jack requested, smiling yet feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Boy, a lot of you have gotten bigger since I last saw you, and I see some new faces too!"

"Jack? Why does your voice sound funny?" A little girl bunny inquired, curiously.

"That's because my voice changed." Jack replied.

"Why?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Well, when you reach a certain age…" Jack started to say.

"Jack." Judy interrupted, sternly.

"What? She asked." Jack defended.

"Jackie!" They heard somebody cry.

They looked and saw a little girl bunny in a yellow dress running over to Jack with her arms stretched out. Her name was Nia and she was one of my many cousins and looked a lot like Judy when she was younger only with blue eyes. Jack gently grabbed her with both hands and lifted her up to his head while she giggled.

"Nia! You've grown too!" Jack smiled. "It's good to see you again, squirt."

"Jack! I lost a tooth today!" The bunny known as Nia revealed as she held the aforementioned tooth out.

"Oh, cool! I just lost all my baby teeth." Jack admitted.

"Wow!" Nia said in amazement.

"Ok everyone, let's get the table all set up so we can have our little reunion dinner." Bonnie declared.

"Yep, in honor of Pop-Pop, god rest his soul." Stu added with a solemn look.

"Yeah… poor Pop-Pop…" Judy said, sadly. She turned to Jack. "You remember Pop-Pop, right?"

"Yeah, I remember him… left me alone in the mall…" Jack noted before quickly adding. "But I do miss him."

"Me too." His adopted mother nodded, sighing.

Nia was puzzled. "Why is Aunt Judy sad?"

"Uh… I'll tell you when your older." Jack assured her. "On _that_ I promise. Now… wanna be up really high?"

"Yeah!" Nia nodded, excited.

"Ok, here we go!" Jack said as she placed him on top of his head while she looked out in amazement.

"Wow! I can see really far! Cool!" Nia exclaimed.

"Careful up there, honey!" Bonnie warned her.

"Ok, Grandma!" Nia nodded.

"Come on, let's help set the table." Jack said.

"Ok!" Nia beamed as Jack began to walk off with her on his head.

* * *

Pretty soon, most of the Hopps family were all putting plates and different vegetables on top of an extremely long table, which already had a blanket covering it. Nia handed Jack a plate one after the other and thanks to his super long arms he managed to cover a lot of the long table.

"Wow… how come you have such long arms, Jack?" Nia inquired, amazed.

Jack just shrugged. "Just born with them."

"You sure are lucky." Nia remarked.

"Yeah, well, I'd pay big bucks to have sharp hearing like yours." Jack admitted.

"Really?" Nia asked, surprised.

"Totally. Then I'd know when bullies are trying to sneak up on me." Jack said before leaning closer to her and whispering. "And hear what Mom is getting for my next birthday.

Nia giggled before Judy suddenly spoke up.

"I heard that," she said gesturing to her ears. "Super hearing, remember."

Jack chuckled nervously. "Sorry Mom…"

"Hey Jack, are you gonna be a Police Officer like Aunt Judy?" A little boy bunny inquired.

"Don't know little dude." Jack admitted, shrugged. "Maybe. I got time to figure it out though."

"I'd think you'd make a great cop." Nia voiced.

"You think so?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Yeah!" Nia nodded.

"Thanks. Course… I think I wanna find my own place in the world." Jack admitted. "Whatever that might be."

Hearing this made Judy smile at her adopted son with pride. Jack glanced at her and became worried that he had disappointed and let her down, not noticing the proud look on her face.

"Uh, Mom I…" he began.

"Don't say anything sweetie, it's ok, I understand." Judy assured him. "And I'm quite pleased."

"Yeah?"

"Hmm-mm. You're life is yours to live and whatever you decide is up to you, for me to decide just wouldn't be right."

Jack smiled, appreciatively. "Thanks, Mom."

"Food's coming!" Stu called out.

Jack, Nia and Judy turned and one by one saw one of Judy's siblings plus her nieces and nephews walking out carrying a plate of food and placing it on the table. Most of it was carrots while others were blueberry pie, apple pie and even pumpkin pie plus salads as well.

"Wow, food look's great, Grandma!" Jack complimented.

"Oh, thank you dear." Bonnie said, appreciatively as she stepped out of the house. "Well everyone, don't just sit there with your tummies grumbling, everybody dig in!"

"Don't mind if I do!" Thomas smiled as he quickly grabbed a carrot and began to chew it quickly until it was completely gone.

Judy chuckled. "Well, some things never change, eh little brother?"

"Hey, why change perfection?" Thomas asked, proudly.

"Hate to see what imperfection looks like." Jack joked, making everyone laugh in amusement.

"Har, har." Thomas said, deadpan.

Bonnie sighed, smiling. "It's so nice to have the whole family together again," she said.

"Uh-huh!" Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, things have been so busy with the ZPD lately, it's nice to come to a place that's _quiet_." Judy expressed.

"Tell me about it." One of her siblings agreed.

"Preach it to the quire, sister." Another one added.

"And relaxing in this quiet place is exactly what your mother and I plan to do now that Mac has taken over the carrot farm." Stu said. A big rabbit, known as Mac, nodded with a smile.

"We're thinking of vacationing in New Hareshire, we hear it's got a _great_ spa." Bonnie revealed.

"Should be quite romantic, eh honeybun?" Stu smiled to his wife.

"Indeed." Bonnie smiled as they kissed briefly. All the kid's, even the grown up ones, groaned in disgust watching it.

"Ew!"

"Guys!"

"Oh, _please_ get a room…" Jack moaned.

"You know Judy, it's not to late to find a good fella yourself." Bonnie told her. "You know, like your partner Nick for starters."

"Nick!? W-why would you think…" Judy began, stuttering in embarrassment.

"Well, you two are usually together…" Stu noted.

"And _very_ close." Bonnie added.

"It's true." Jack confirmed.

"Nick and I are just friends! That's all! Friends!" Judy said, flustered.

"Hmm-mmm?" Everyone nodded, smirking.

"It's the truth!" Judy insisted.

"Sure sis, whatever floats your boat." Thomas shrugged.

"Zip it…" Judy grumbled while some of her family members finished their meals.

"Done!"

"Done!"

"Me too!"

"Me three!"

"Here, let me get that." A bunny named Zeke said to one of them as he stood up and used his rabbit speed to take each of the empty plates. "And this, and this, and this, and these and how about that?"

Jack holds up his plate as well and Zeke quickly ran by and took it. "Got that too!"

"Thanks, Uncle Zeke." Jack nodded, appreciatively.

"You're welcome, kid." The lean rabbit responded from a far.

Judy turned to her sister. "You're lucky sis, I wish _Jack_ was that fast, particularly when it comes to cleaning up his room." The bunny cop smirked.

"Mom!" Jack protested, embarrassed.

"I'm just teasing, sweetie." Judy assured him. "Don't worry."

They then heard a vehicle pulling up nearby and everyone turned in the direction of it.

"Who's that?" Jack inquired.

"Oh! That must be Gideon!" Stu realized.

Bonnie turned to Judy. "I hope you don't mind that we invited him."

"Of course not! He's our partner which practically makes him family." Judy reasoned.

"Glad to hear it, dear." Bonnie said, appreciatively.

Just then, a tall and plump fox with blue eyes and dark red hair on the top of his head appeared from behind the residence wearing a blue plaid shirt.

"Hey ya'll!" he waved.

"Hi, Gideon!" The kid's all waved.

"Hey Gideon, good to see you." Judy nodded, smiling.

"Hey there Judy, how's city life?" Gideon inquired as he walked over to her.

"Pretty good, fighting crime never get's old." Judy said, she then turned to Jack. "Oh and this is my son, Jack, the one I told you about a long time ago."

Jack looked up toward Gideon and waved. "Hello."

"Oh, well howdy sport. It's nice to meet you." Gideon said to Jack as he walked over to him next.

"You're the guy who scratched Mom's face when you were kid's, aren't you?" Jack asked, bluntly making most, if not all, of the other Hopps family members uneasy and flinching upon hearing him.

"Jack!" Judy scolded him.

"What? Just asked." Jack defended.

"That still doesn't…" Judy began to say.

"No, no, it's alright Judy." Gideon assured her. "Yes, I did do that… but was just a kit then and I feel _terrible_ about it, I really do. But don't worry, that bully that hurt your Mom? He's gone now and… I hate him just as much as she or you do. I can't take it back but I'm trying to make up for it, I really am."

Jack turned to his mother, who gave him an assuring nod which seems to ease his spirits a little. "Alright then. Sorry for my rudeness," he apologized as he shook hands with Gideon.

"Hey, no problem, some would say I probably deserved it." Gideon admitted.

"Indeed you probably did." Jack nodded.

Gideon chuckled. "I like this kid," he told Judy. "You did a good job with him, Judy."

"Aw, thanks!" Judy said, flattered.

"Ok, enough flirting or I'll lose all the food I just ate…" Jack grumbled in annoyance which made the other kids, even their parents as well, chuckle in amusement.

"We were not flirting!" Judy denied, embarrassed.

"I would hope so." Jack said, making Judy and Gideon turn away to hide their blushing faces.

Seeing the need to change the subject, Bonnie stood up. "So, uh… Gideon! Um… why don't you take a seat uh… next to me and help yourself."

"Sure thing, Mrs. H." Gideon nodded as he walked over.

"And you keep your paws away from my wife, ya hear?" Stu warned Gideon as he sat down.

"Stu! Not you too!" Bonnie said, frowning.

Stu chuckled. "I'm just kidding, dear, just kidding," he assured her.

Jack and Nia both watch the scene unfold with smiling expressions before Nia looked up towards Jack, curiously.

"Hey Jack?" Nia spoke up.

"Yeah?"

"How come Aunt Judy is bunny… but you aren't?"

"You're just noticing this?"

"Uh-huh."

"Ok… well, that's because I'm adopted. Aunt Judy and I aren't related my blood… or species for that matter… but she still raised me so that makes her my Mom."

"What about your real Mommy and Daddy?" Nia asked, curiously.

"I… I don't know…" Jack admitted. Nia tilted her head in confusion. "I still don't even know what mammal I am…"

Nia noticed how sad Jack looked upon talking about his biological parents and began to feel bad herself for bringing it up. She then promptly hugged his arm. "Well _I_ know one thing for sure!"

"Yeah? What's that?"

"It's that your my cousin and we're family! And that's all that really matters!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

"Aw, thanks Nia." Jack said, touched as he held her close and enjoyed the moment as much as he could, though he still couldn't help but continue to wonder just what kind of mammal he was, where he came from and who his real parents were, more so then he ever did before. It made him seem miles away while everyone else enjoyed the dinner and Judy gazed at her adopted son with a concerned expression.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

After the family reunion had ended, it was time for yet another day at Zootopia High. The bell had just rang and animal students of all shapes, sizes and breeds began to make their way inside the gigantic building and endure what they considered 'the worst years of their entire lives'

One of those certain people, was a young zebra teen approaching what seemed to be his locker, which he planned to put his bag into as he started to dial the combination.

Unknown to him, someone was sneaking up behind him, which was quite a feat considering how big this certain someone was and his name was Tank Turnbull. Now fully grown, muscular and just as nasty as he was back when he was in Elementary school. He continued to make his way towards the Zebra teen as quietly as he caught, despite his humongous size, holding a little rug that was black and had a white stripe like a skunk.

"Oh yes… just a little more…" Tank muttered to himself as he started to reach forward and prepared to drop the skunk-like rug into the Zebra's bag when…

A carrot is suddenly flung through the air and strikes Tank's hoof, releasing his grip on the rug.

"Ah!" Tank cried out, causing the Zebra to turn and notice him standing behind him.

"Tank?" The zebra remarked, surprised.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The bull and the zebra turned around and saw none other then Jack Hopps, standing nearby with the light from the windows shining behind him. The light from the sun makes his round glasses shine before he adjusts them with a calm expression.

"You!" Tank growled.

"The one and only." Jack confirmed, nodding. He turned to the zebra teen. "This guy here was about to plant that old smelly skunk rug in your backpack, if he had succeeded you'd be smelling like that and everyone would have thought you were flatulent."

"Oh. Thanks." The zebra teen told Jack gratefully before glaring at Tank and walking away.

Tank turned to Jack, angrily. "Why you…! You just ruined my prank!" he exclaimed, aggravated.

"I would apologize for foiling your fun, Turnbull…" Jack admitted while Tank growled at him. The young teen narrowed his eyes and spoke in a cold tone. "But then I'd be _lying_. Now don't you have something better to do with your time?"

"You think I'm afraid of you, Hopps?" Tank questioned.

"I don't know. _Are you_?" Jack inquired as he slowly raised a brow.

Deep down Tank knew he was beaten and it angered him greatly, making him growl in frustration. "Whatever…" he grumbled before stomping away.

"That's what I thought." Jack said.

"Hey, Jack!" Someone called out.

Jack turned and saw Lily walking over to him, he smiled brightly seeing her. "Oh, hey Lily," he said.

"Hey, just saw Tank stomping by, figured you had something to do with it." Lily said.

"Yeah, up to his old tricks, as usual." Jack said.

"And you stopped him?" Lily guessed.

"Never get's old." Jack confirmed as he began to walk down the hall with her.

"So hey, I've been meaning to ask; how was the family reunion?" Lily asked.

"Pretty cool. Uncle Thomas is still the same though." Jack shrugged.

"Oh, what a shame." Lily shook her head.

"Indeed…" Jack agreed as they both share a chuckle. "Nia's growing up too."

"You know you're lucky to have a relative who looks up to you." Lily told him. "I have so much trouble trying to get the attention of _mine_ …"

"At least you know you're related to them…" Jack said, beginning to look depressed.

"Oh… _that_ question was asked again, huh?" Lily inquired, understandingly.

"Yeah… Nia asked why I wasn't a bunny like Mom… and I _still_ don't know why…" Jack confessed, clenching his fist tightly.

"What does your Mom say?" Lily asked.

"Well… whenever the subject of where I came from comes up, she's always so vague…" Jack admitted.

"Maybe she doesn't know." Lily suggested.

"Maybe…" Jack muttered, looking thoughtful. "But what if she _does_?"

"Jack…"

"I'm just speaking hypothetically here."

"Well, ok then, if she _does_ then… maybe she's not telling you because she wants to protect you."

"How? By hiding a clue to my past from me?"

"Hey, it's just my opinion, no need to jump down my throat about it."

"Sorry…" Jack sighed. "It's just… it's been bugging me a lot lately…"

"I understand, but you know family isn't always about blood or what species you are." Lily told him. "It's also about bonds and your Mom loves you to pieces, you know that."

"I know, I know…" Jack sighed.

"Then what's the problem?" Lily asked.

Jack just shrugged. "I don't know… it's just how I feel. Like an inch at the back of my brain I can't scratch."

"Gee, if only they had a brain scratcher." Lily joked. Jack chuckled in amusement. "Knew that'd make you laugh."

Jack smiles at Lily warmly and appreciatively. "Thanks, Lil."

Lily smiled back at him and after a little while the two realized they were staring at each other and turn away, bashfully while Jack's cheeks started to turn red. They then heard something else that caught their attention, a pig squealing.

"What was _that_?" Lily asked, surprised.

"I think I might have an idea." Jack muttered as he began to run off, while Lily following him.

At that moment, inside the boy's bathroom, the now grown up Grizzlepike and Quill were currently holding an older, bigger and meeker Arnold over an elephant sized toilet, preparing to give him the classic swirly.

"Ready to head to swirliville, porker?" Grizzlepike asked, menacingly.

"Yeah! I hear it's real nice this time of year!" Quill smirked.

"Aw, come on guys… we just went there yesterday…" Arnold squeaked, fearfully.

"Then consider this a return trip!" Quill declared as he nodded to Grizzlepike, who prepared to lower Arnold into the toilet.

"No! NO! Help!" Arnold screamed and squealed as he was slowly lowered before someone suddenly cleared their throat and they stopped.

The two bullies both turned around and saw Jack standing nearby and glaring at them coldly. While the bear and porcupine scowled, Arnold smiled brightly.

"Jack!" he cried, happily.

"Hopps!" The bullies both said.

"Quill. Grizzlepike. Put. Arnold. Down." Jack ordered them, calmly.

"Or _what_?" Quill questioned.

"Or I'll have to make you and you're not gonna like _how_ I do it." Jack answered, bluntly.

"Yeah? I'd like to see you _try_ small fry." The grizzly challenged him.

"Uh, dude? Isn't his Mom still a cop?" Quill pointed out, as he just remembered that important detail.

"The Chief of Police now, actually." Jack corrected.

"Exactly! He could have us arrested and locked up with one phone call!" The porcupine added, starting to panic.

"Please! I'm not scared of that weak little funny bunny! And besides, Jackie boy here is too proud to call Mommy for help, even though she's _not_ his Mommy. Heck! You don't even know who your real momma is, do ya freak?" Grizzlepike stated, mockingly. Hearing this, causes Jack's eyes to narrow and his fists to clench tightly.

"I would watch what I said if I were you." Jack warned the bear, darkly.

"Again; or _what_?" Grizzlepike challenged.

"Or _this_." Jack declared as he swiped his foot across the wet floor which splashed up some water which got into Grizzlepike's eyes, blinding him.

"Gah!" he cried before tossing Arnold away.

The warthog slid across the floor until he was stopped by Jack.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Uh-huh. I think so." Arnold nodded. "Thanks."

"Not a problem." Jack smiled.

"Hey! That's playing dirty!" Quill complained.

"In a fight, seek victory, not fairness, besides… would you have it any other way?" Jack inquired, raising a brow and making Quill flinch.

Grizzlepike wiped the liquid from his eyes and growled with anger. "You're gonna pay for that!" he snapped.

"Am I?" Jack questioned, sounding doubtful. "Arnold, I advise you to run from here as quick as you can, Ok? Spit spot."

"Uh… ok!" The warthog said before he quickly ran off.

Jack turned his attention back to the bullies. "And as for you two; I'm giving you one chance to take back what you said," he told them.

"Why? Haven't you wondered who your _real_ parents are? I'll bet your 'Mommy' knows but she refuses to tell you because she wants to keep you to herself!" Grizzlepike mocked.

"O-Ok big guy, that's enough…" Quill voiced as he got the feeling that they were going too far.

"What? You're not scared of _him_ are you?" Grizzlepike questioned in disbelief before Jack suddenly appeared in front of him, grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to look him in the eye.

"You _should_ be." The unknown mammal told him in a dark tone.

Outside, Arnold had just gotten out of the bathroom, where he was greeted by Lily.

"Arnold! You ok?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah…" The warthog nodded.

"Where's Jack?" Lily inquired, concerned.

"In there…" Arnold revealed, gesturing to the bathroom behind him, where sounds of fighting can be heard before Quill came flying out, screaming, as he went over Lily and Arnold's heads, who both looked unfazed.

"Oh dear…" Lily remarked.

"Yeah… that's gotta hurt." Arnold added before Grizzlepike flew out as well.

Quill looked up and screamed before Grizzlepike landed right on top of him though he quickly got off when Quill's actual quills get stuck to him.

"Ah! Ah! Quill! Your quills! Get 'em out of me! Get 'em out of me!" Grizzlepike screamed as he ran around in pain. Quill got up and chased after him as he ran down the hall.

"Hey! Hey, Grizzle! Wait up! Slow down!" he cried while Jack stepped out of the room, seemingly calm. He turned to his friends.

"Hey guys." The unknown mammal said.

"Jack, are you ok?" Lily asked, concerned.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine." Jack tried to assure you. "Nothing I couldn't handle…"

"So… what made you snap like that?" Lily questioned, confused.

"He uh… he said some bad stuff about Chief Hopps…" Arnold confessed.

"Oh…" Lily said, understandingly.

"And what stings worse is that he was partially right… I don't know who my real-my _biological_ mother is…" Jack admitted.

"And you think Miss Hopps does?" Lily inquired.

"There's only one way to find out." Jack declared.

"Uh… what's that?" Arnold asked, not getting it. Lily just face palmed in response.

" _Ask her_." Jack stated.

"Oh!" The warthog said, understandingly. "But… doesn't she usually try to _avoid_ that question?"

"Not this time." Jack told his best friend before he walked off down the hall determined while his friends both watched him go with concerned looks on their faces.

* * *

Some time later after school, Jack was sitting at the dinner table, which was a bit big for him, eating a large salad by himself before the door opened and a very professional looking Judy Hopps entered the house. She was dressed in a uniform similar to former Chief Bogo's, with five stars on her shoulders but with longer sleeves.

"I'm home!" she announced as she began to enter the kitchen.

"Hi, Mom!" Jack replied as she and him exchanged smiles as she passed by.

"Made yourself dinner I see." Judy observed.

"Yeah, so… at least I'm not completely helpless." Jack pointed with a chuckle.

Judy shared his chuckle as she sat down in front of him, sighing. "Sorry I'm late by the way, paper work as usual… boy… no wonder Bogo was so happy to retire when he did," she remarked.

"Regretting taking his offer to be chief?" Jack inquired.

"Nope!" Judy answered with a wide grin.

Jack chuckled again. "Figured as much."

Judy quickly helped herself to some salad. "So, how was school today?"

"It was ok. Mom, can I ask you a question?" Jack quickly requested..

"Of course, what is it, honey?" Judy inquired, while taking a carrot out of the salad.

"Do you happen to know my origins?" Jack finally asked.

Hearing him ask this, confused and surprised Judy greatly, causing her to drop the carrot she was previously holding. she almost seemed hesitant to answer but eventually does so. "Uh… your origins?"

"Yes. Like… do you know what kind of mammal I am? Or even if I _am_ a mammal?"

"Well, I think it's pretty clear that you _are_. I mean… you have a lot of the same traits as us and the same features as other male…"

"Yeah, stop, I know your going to say. Please don't…" Jack practically begged, disgusted. "But… what about my parents?"

"Your… parents…?" Judy said, slowly and nervously.

"Yes, I mean, don't get me wrong, you're a great Mom and I love you but… ever since I was a kid… it's been pretty obvious that I'm not like everyone else nor do I know what I am." Jack stated. "I've asked, and asked, but you never give me a good enough answer."

"Come on, that's not true… sometimes the answers I give you completely satisfy you… at least when you were young… and you didn't know why you weren't a bunny and all that…" Judy pointed out with a nervous smile.

" _So_ missing the point!" Jack said, annoyed. "You've talking around it for _years_ just like today! Now I want answers; where did I come from and what happened to my other parents?"

Judy saw how serious and desperate her son was for answers and as much as she wanted to try and change the subject or refuse to answer, she knew deep down that she couldn't keep this secret from him any longer. "Ok…" she sighed. "I wanted to explain this when you were a little more older but… I guess I have to explain it now…"

"Explain _what_ exactly?" Jack asked.

"Well… you know I didn't need to tell you that you were adopted?" Judy inquired.

"Yeah…" Jack nodded, slowly.

"Well… I think what I should have told you about is… how I _found_ you." Judy confessed, surprising Jack greatly.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Jack continued to stare at his adoptive mother in disbelief, shocked to hear that their was something about his adoption that she never told him while Judy looked down toward the floor feeling guilty for not saying so earlier and sad that they were even having this conversation in the first place.

"What do you mean 'you found me there'? What was I doing there!?" Jack demanded.

"I don't know! And I've been trying to figure that out ever since but so far… nothing." Judy said, sadly.

"Mammals don't just 'appear' Mom." Jack pointed out.

"I know and that's what's been baffling me this whole time." Judy confessed. "It's almost like you _did_ appear out of thin air, one minute the flower shop only had the owner then a few minutes later it's both you and him."

"Doesn't make sense…" Jack muttered.

"I know! But for one reason or another… you're _here_ , you're my _son_." Judy stated.

"But I'm someone else's too…" Jack reminded. "And I don't know _who_ they are or _where_ are they except that they _abandoned_ me, right?"

"No! You don't know that!" Judy told him.

"Then what reason would they have for leaving me here by myself? I was just a _baby_ for God's sake!" Jack expressed as he stood up and began to pace around.

"Maybe it was an accident. Maybe they didn't know!" Judy tried to reason with him.

"And you don't know _that_ either!" Jack snapped.

"Jack, I _tried_ to find them, I really did… but it seems that you're the only one of your kind in this world…" Judy said, sadly.

"But… but I can't be… there's gotta be more like me, Mom!" Jack said, desperately. "I-I mean… I was _baby_ when you found me, so they…"

"And maybe there is but that's true then where are they?" Judy questioned him.

"Oh…!" Jack moaned in distress as he put hands on head and started to pace.

"Jack, calm down…" Judy urged him.

"I _am_ calm!" Jack practically yelled, startling his mother. He stepped back and looked down upon realizing that he went too far. "Sorry… I-I didn't…"

"No, it's ok, it's good that you're letting off some steam." Judy assured him. "And listen… I know you might forgive me for not telling you this detail earlier and I don't blame you if you did. I wouldn't forgive me either. I'm just… scared."

Jack raised his head, surprised. "Scared? But Mom I've never seen you scared… I didn't think you could…

"Wrong, I _can_ get scared and I'm scared right now, of losing _you_!" Judy told him, emotionally. Jack was speechless. "I'm scared that… if you go searching for who your real parents are and… where you came from… you'll forget about me and I'll never see you again! No! I don't want that to happen! You're _my_ son. _Mine_! And I won't let anyone take you…"

Judy began to sob lightly which quickly made Jack feel terrible for the way he yelled at her for the lack of answers. He quickly bent down to her level and embraced her, which she returned.

Jack looked his mother in the eye next. "I'm not going anywhere, Mom. I'm your boy and you're my everything."

Judy sniffed and managed to crack a smile hearing that. "Thank you," she said, gratefully.

"So… what happens now?" Jack inquired.

"I don't know… I never thought about what would happen afterwards…" Judy admitted.

"Understandable." Jack nodded.

"How do you feel?" Judy inquired.

"I still have so many questions… and I know you can't answer them but…" Jack began to say.

"What?" His mother asked.

"I don't know just… part of me won't be satisfied until I at least get a _few_ answers about what I am and who my parents were… maybe even why they left me…" Jack confessed, sounding a bit guilty.

Judy nodded. "I understand. I do," she assured him.

"Really?" Jack asked.

"Yes. It's only natural that you desire answers that no one else can answer and want to search for them. I know that I'd probably do the same thing in your place." Judy admitted.

"So where do you think I should start looking?" Jack inquired.

"Where it all started. You remember?" Judy asked, curiously.

"The flower shop." The teenager remembered.

"Well done." Judy nodded.

"You taught me well." Jack smiled.

"Thanks. Course you'll probably need help." Judy reminded him.

"I got some mammals in mind who can." Jack said as he started to leave.

"Gonna go out there searching right away, aren't you?" Judy guessed.

Jack stopped and smirked as he turned to her. "You wanted me to get out of the house more, right?"

"I can't stop you, no one can, but just remember; what you're searching for… might not be what you expect it to be." Judy warned him.

"I'm not afraid." Jack stated.

"A part of you should be." Judy said.

Jack let his mother's warning sink into his mind and eventually he nodded before turning and heading out of the kitchen, leaving by herself as she sighed sadly.

* * *

Later on, after contacting his friends, Jack, Lily and Arnold all stood in front of the flower shop where Judy and Nick first found Jack sixteen-years ago. It still looked the same after so long, though it was unclear at the time if any evidence that Jack was there was still there at all.

"So… this is it? Where they found you?" Lily asked Jack.

"Yeah, this is where Mom said it was." Jack confirmed.

"Must feel kinda weird for you… you know, coming back here after all this time." Arnold pointed out.

"Not really, I was still a baby when I appeared here so I don't remember much, though… it does seem… _slightly_ familiar." Jack admitted.

Lily stepped closer to the store and looked at it more closely. "Odd… doesn't look anyone's home…"

"Think maybe it's closed?" Arnold wondered.

"Maybe… but why isn't there a 'Closed' sign on the door?" Jack pointed out. "There isn't even an 'out of business' sign, which means it _must_ be open. Let's go in."

Jack walked toward the door without a second thought.

"Uh… you are?" Arnold asked, nervously while Jack pushed the door open a little bit.

The unknown teenage mammal turned to him. "I'm sure." Jack nodded. "Besides, it's unlocked so… let's go."

Jack quickly proceeded into the store and after exchanging glances his friends soon follow him.

They all enter the flower shop, which looks slightly more empty then it did sixteen years ago and just like last night all those years ago, there didn't seem to be anyone inside.

"Hello?" Jack called out.

"Still doesn't look like anyone's home…" Lily pointed out as she gazed around.

"But then… why is the door unlocked…?" Arnold wondered before gasping. "What if it's already been broken into?"

"Who'd break into a _flower shop_?" Lily questioned, flatly.

"My Mom…" Arnold admitted. They both turned to him quizzically. "Long story…"

"Hello! Anyone home?" Jack called out.

"Maybe we should whisper…" Arnold said, quietly.

" _Why_?" Lily questioned in disbelief.

"In case whoever works and lives here is asleep, he could use the nap." Arnold pointed out.

"Oh, he's awake alright." Jack stated.

"How can you tell?" Lily inquired.

"Can't you smell it?" Jack asked them as both Lily and Arnold started sniffing.

"Yeah… I do smell something." The cheetah admitted.

"Me too, especially me because of how powerful my nose is, er… except when the flu hits." The warthog pointed out, sheepishly.

"And with that…" Jack began. "Come on out, we know your there!"

They all heard a 'yelp and a clattering and turn to the flower shop owner, the ferret Nick and Judy met so long ago, sprung up.

"Oh! Uh… hi! What can I do for you all?" The ferret asked.

"Do you remember me?" Jack questioned the ferret as he got closer to him.

"Should I? …Oh, wait a minute! Now I remember! You're that strange creature Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde found in my shop sixteen years ago!" The ferret realized.

"Hey! The 'strange creature' has a name!" Lily told him, annoyed.

"Yeah. It's Jack." The so-called 'strange creature' added.

"My word… you've really grown up." The flower shop owner remarked, amazed. "Last I saw you, you were barely bigger then Officer Hopps herself."

"It's _Chief_ Hopps now, just FYI." Jack corrected.

"Oh yes! I heard she got promoted, good for her." The ferret said. "Anyway… what brings you back here?"

"Looking for answers." Jack stated.

"Answers?"

"Yes, I'm hoping that during the short time I was here something of mine was left behind."

"Left behind? Like what?"

"I intend to find out."

"Can we look around your store, sir?" Lily inquired.

"Uh… sure, go ahead. Be my guest. Not many people come here anymore…" The ferret admitted.

"Why not? You got some nice flowers." Arnold pointed out as she sniffed some nearby.

"Well… some heard _rumors_ that a strange, i.e. _you_ Jack, came from here and they've been… scared." The shop owner confessed.

"Scared? You mean of _me_?" Jack questioned in disbelief.

"Yes! And so am I!" The ferret admitted. "Uh, no offence."

"Too late." Jack said, bluntly.

"But Jack's not dangerous! Why would you be afraid of him? Why would _anyone_ be a afraid of him?" Lily questioned.

"A little insulting, but thank you." Jack said to Lily.

"Well… well… well just look at him! He's unlike any mammal ever seen! No fur, no claws! It's like he's some kind of _alien_!" The shop owner confessed.

"An alien!?" Jack and Arnold both said together in shock.

"Ok, now I _know_ this guy is crazy." Lily said, flatly.

"Well technically… since he is probably from a foreign place and in _our_ world instead of his own so…" Arnold began to point out.

"Not helping Arnold." Lily stated, annoyed.

"Sorry…" The warthog said, meekly.

"And… where's the spot where they found me?" Jack asked the ferret, who pointed to the right pathway.

"Down there, at the very end," he replied. Jack and his friends exchange glances before beginning to proceed down the pathway.

"Thank you!" Jack called out to him as he continued on his way.

"You're… welcome?" The ferret shop owner replied.

Jack and his friends walked down the pathway with all the exotic flowers and the small windows around them. They gazed at their surroundings cautiously and with wonder before they go around a corner and see at the end of the path was two dead looking planets, nothing out of the ordinary but to Jack something seemed to ring in his mind.

Lily noticed the look in his eyes. "You ok, Jack?"

"Yeah, just… I think… I think this is the place…" Jack confessed.

"What is?" Arnold asked, not getting it.

Jack walked forward to the end of the path. "This," he replied. His friends followed him while he approached and soon stood in front of the very spot where Judy and Nick found him so long ago. He slowly put a hand on the dirt where his basket lay and felt it, curiously.

"Is this…?" Lily started to say.

"Where they found me… yeah." Jack confirmed.

"But… how'd you get _here_?" Arnold questioned, baffled.

"Been asking that question _a lot_." Jack expressed before he suddenly felt something in the dirt that piqued his interest. "Hello…"

"What?" The Jaguar girl inquired.

"Hold on…" Jack said as he sifted through the dirt and dug into it a bit before he finally found and took out a small, round metal object with a clear center in the middle of it. It seemed to be some kind of piece of technology and it glowed slight as he held it up.

"Whoa…" Arnold remarked, amazed.

"What _is_ that?" Lily asked.

"I have no idea…" Jack shook his head, still stunned. He turned to his warthog friend.

Arnold looked at it closely, adjusting his glasses while he did so. "Never seen anything like it… it's… complex. Possibly more advanced then anything around here."

"How's that possible?" Lily questioned, surprised.

"It's _not_." The warthog stated.

"Well, apparently it _is_ … or better yet… I don't it's of this world…" Jack mused as he continued to gaze upon it. "And neither am I."

The device continued to glow in Jack's fingers and almost _beep_ as well plus if one looked closely, one could see a small letter engraved on it. An 'E'.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Later, at Jack's house, Jack and his friends returned with the strange device they found in the store where Judy first found Jack and decided to inspect it. Jack's mother wasn't home at the moment so they couldn't ask her about it, leaving the three teens to try to figure out the device themselves.

Jack looked at the small metal disk closely through a magnifying glass and looking very puzzled by what he was looking at.

His friends were standing behind him as he continued to inspect it. "Well?" Lily inquired, curiously and expectantly.

Jack sighed. "I got nothing… whatever this thing I definitely don't recognize it and there seems to be no way to take it apart either," he said as he pushed the magnifying glass away.

Arnold took it next. "Hmm, almost looks like a computer disk."

"A very _weird_ computer disk." Lily added.

"I don't get it… why would that thing be with me when I came here?" Jack wondered.

"Maybe it was by accident." Lily suggested.

"Or someone made you take it with you." The warthog pointed out.

"Take it with me?" Jack echoed. "But what for?"

"Beats me. I mean like… it _could_ be a computer disk so…" Arnold began.

"It could go in a computer!" Lily finished, just figuring it out herself.

"Right!" Arnold nodded.

Jack took the device next. "Hmm, worth a shot. We can use Mom's computer."

"Sure we can?" Lily inquired.

"You wanna figure this out or do you wanna go looking for a permission slip?" Jack asked before briskly getting up and walking away.

"Boy… he's sure acting weird…" Arnold remarked.

"Wouldn't you? This is first clue he's gotten about who and what he is." Lily pointed out. "I just hope what we find is worth it…"

"Why wouldn't it?" The warthog pointed out before they both started to follow Jack.

Soon enough, Jack was crouched down in front of her mother's computer, being very careful not to hit too many buttons with his large finger.

"Hmm, password…" Jack mused. He thought for a second before he quickly typed something in and heard a DING.

"Cool! Access granted." Arnold observed.

"Yep."

"How'd you know the password?"

"I guessed and I was right."

"And your guess?"

"Nick." Jack answered.

"Oh! You mean your Mom's 'not boyfriend'?" Lily asked with a suggestive smirk.

"Yeah… can't believe they keep denying that after all these years…" Jack remarked. "So stubborn…"

"Don't worry, they're adults, that's how they communicate I hear." Arnold said.

"Probably." Jack shrugged. "Anyway, let's see what happens when we put this weird little thing in a computer."

Jack inserts the little disk into the computer, causing it to slide in before he starts to type on it rapidly. A series of numbers flow across and down the screen.

"What _is_ that?" Lily wondered.

"It's a code… but it's scrambled…" Jack muttered as he started typing even faster, causing a few numbers to light up and stop.

"Whoa… how are you uh… doing that…?" Arnold asked, stunned.

"Nothing to it, really." Jack told him. "Ok, got it."

"Ok… now what?" Lily inquired.

"Hold on… these numbers… they're not a code, they're _coordinates_." Jack realized.

"Like… latitude and longitude?" The jaguar girl asked.

"Yep." Jack nodded. "Now… which one of you knows how to figure out latitude and longitude?"

"What!? I thought _you_ did!" Lily gasped.

" _I_ do." Arnold spoke up. "I think I can figure out where those coordinates are saying we should go."

"Great! One sec." Jack said before he zipped off and came back a few seconds later with a rolled up piece of paper. He put it on the kitchen table, which the others gathered around and quickly spread it out to show a map of Zootopia, showing every ecosystem in the city. "Ok, here's a map of the city. Do you thing, Ron."

Arnold adjusted his glasses as he looks at the map more closely. "Hmm…" he mumbled as his eyes scan the map.

"Well?" Lily asked, impatiently.

"Uh… there!" Arnold declared, pointing to a spot on the map. Lily and Jack both checked it and recognized the location.

"Cliffside Asylum…" Jack read.

"You sure that's right, Arnold?" Lily questioned the warthog.

"Yeah! Positive!" Arnold nodded.

"Then that's where we have to go next." Jack declared.

"But… isn't that place closed off?" Lily pointed out.

"Yeah… they made it a restricted area ever since Mayor Lionheart used it to hold the Night Howler victims back in the day." Arnold confirmed. "If we go there… we could get arrested!"

Arnold shook in fear of the thought but Jack remained stone faced. "Well… that's only if we get caught, which we _won't_."

"Still seems risky…" Lily told him.

"You guys don't have to come, but I'm going." Jack said as he stood up and turned to them. "I have to know…"

"Know what?" The warthog questioned.

"The truth about who I am and where I came from, how I got here… and Cliffside might be it. Sure it's a strange place that could get us in big trouble… but I can't spend the rest of my life wondering anymore." Jack stated firmly as he started to walk away before Lily called out.

"Jack."

He stopped and silently turned to her as she stepped forward.

"I'm in," she declared.

"Really?" The unknown teenage creature inquired, surprised.

Lily nodded to him. "Yeah. You've made your point… plus I think you're more likely to get arrested if you go alone."

"And uh… I'll go to." Arnold spoke up, still looking nervous. "Because uh… if I l stay behind and… they ask me where you are… I'll cave for sure and I don't wanna do that to you guys…"

Jack nodded to Arnold assuringly. "Thank you, Arnold. So, to Cliffside?"

The jaguar girl nodded in confirmation. "To Cliffside."

"To uh… Cliffside?" Arnold finished, unsure.

Jack smiled at this friends before he noticed something else on the computer that caught his attention. He quickly rushed back over to it.

"Hey… there's something else here…" The teen realized.

"What?" Lily asked.

"It's buried under a ton of data but I think… aha!" Jack declared as he typed and as the rest of the data vanished, large letters slowly appeared on the screen and read 'Edwin'. "Edwin?"

"Who's Edwin?" The warthog remarked, confused.

"Maybe it's someone you need to talk to, someone who knows who and what you are, or…" Lily began before realization dawned on her face as she looked at Jack. "What if it's your _real name_ …?"

"Edwin… my name…" Jack mused, thoughtfully as he continued stare at the name on the screen.

* * *

Later on, after a series of bus rides and a long walk, the trio arrived at the closed down, creepy looking stone building with vines all over the front of it. The sky around it was dark and the building itself gave anyone who came near it a shiver of fear.

Together they all slowly walk over to the toll booth and check around it.

Lily sniffed the air. "Yep. No one's definitely used this place in a while…"

Arnold sniffed around as well. "I concur. Plus, it's faint, but I can still smell your folks scent here Jack."

"I'm not sure whether to be impressed or… grossed out that you are able to do that…" Jack admitted.

"Ditto." Lily added.

"What? My piggy nose is better then a wolf's, I can't help it" The warthog said, defensively.

"Anyways… the coast looks clear, no guards, no nothing… let's go." Jack said as he walked on ahead.

"Yeah, let's just hurry up and try to get of here before we end up pushing our luck." Lily voiced as she followed Jack, while Arnold tried hard to keep up.

"Wait for me guys! Wait for me!" he called out as they continued to head towards the old hospital.

* * *

The doors to the hospital open up as Jack and his friends step inside the dark building, looking around cautiously as well as creeped out.

"Man… even _bats_ wouldn't live in this place…" Lily remarked.

Arnold walked over to a book lying on the floor and picked it up before blowing the dust off of it, causing him to cough and hack before he takes out and uses his inhaler.

"Yeah… I guess it makes sense this place would get a little dusty after being unused for twenty years…" Jack admitted. "But we can't let that stop us. The answers I'm lookin for are here."

"But… _where_ in this place exactly?" Lily questioned.

Jack took out the chip and gazed at it. "I guess wherever there's a computer, maybe."

"Won't it just say the same thing? 'Come to Cliffside Asylum' only we'll be already there?" Lily pointed out, flatly.

"I don't think so." Jack confessed.

"You don't?"

"No…"

"Why?"

"I can't explain it… it's just a feeling I have."

"Well… Mom always said to listen to you instincts." Lily admitted before turning to the warthog. "Arnold, where would the computers be?"

Arnold noticed they were talking to him and put away his inhaler. "Oh! Uh… upstairs I think…"

"Oh! I saw a stairway back the way we came." Lily said.

"Great, let's go." Jack nodded as they turned and started walking back in the direction of the stairway they passed by.

"Uh… don't you guys watch horror movies? Whenever someone goes upstairs to either check something out or hide… they usually wind up dead." Arnold pointed out, nervously as he started to follow.

"That does _not_ fill me with confidence." Jack stated, bluntly.

"That's why I'm pointing it out!" Arnold said.

"Oh, find a spine, warthog." Lily told him in annoyance as they continued on.

* * *

The trio soon reach the stairway and try to walk all the way up it as it twists and turns until they finally reached the next floor. Jack looks left and right before looking back to the others.

"Looks clear," he informed them.

"Well it _is_ abandoned." Lily pointed out.

"You never know…" Arnold shivered in fear before Lily elbowed him.

"Hey! I think I see where the computers are!" Jack said as he points down one of the hallways. The others look to where he is pointing and see a room at the end of the hall that appears to be glowing for some reason.

"What's that glow?" Lily wondered.

"It… could be the screens in there or…" Arnold started to say with a shiver.

"Not a word from you." The jaguar girl stated to him, firmly.

"Sorry!" Arnold said, meekly.

"Come on." Jack told them as he walked ahead toward the glowing room while his friends followed him.

They all push open some large doors and enter a room with massively sized equipment, presumably for large animals as well as smaller computers for the smaller animals, naturally. All of which emit an eerie glow.

"What _is_ all this?" Lily asked out loud.

"Must be left over equipment Former Mayor Lionheart and that scientist of his used during the Night Howler incident." Jack said.

"Huh… I wonder how they could forget such marvelous tech?" Arnold remarked as he gazed at all the machinery in awe. "I mean… this stuff is old but they're still cutting edge."

"Whatever, at least we've found a computer to use." Lily pointed out, gesturing to one of the smaller computers.

"Yes." Jack muttered softly as he walked over to it. As he sat down in front of it, he starts typing while his friends gather around him. He soon takes out the chip again. "Ok little guy… brought you here now… let's see what's inside of ya…"

Jack inserts the chip into the computer and as soon as he did the screen starts to become fuzzy and emit an odd noise and hurts mainly Lily and Arnold's ears. They hold them as they groan in pain.

"Guys? What's wrong?" The non-furry being inquired, confused.

"Can't you hear that!?" Lily remarked, in pain.

"Hear what?" Jack asked, even more confused.

"Oh… make it stop!" Arnold cried out, loudly.

"I'm trying! Hang on!" Jack said as he started to type faster before the screen starts to slowly clear up. "Ok… got something."

The faces of two people start to become revealed and what really surprised the trio was the fact that they both resembled Jack in a way, both didn't have any fur on their bodies aside from their head and had five fingers as well. One appeared to be a male, wearing glasses and a lab coat while the other was a woman with longer hair and blue eyes just like Jack.

"Whoa! Those things look just like you, Jack!" Arnold remarked in awe as he adjusted his glasses.

"Yeah… think they could be…?" Lily began to ask.

"No way…" Jack muttered, shocked.

"Hello son." The male in front of him said. "If your watching this message then it means you've located the spot where the signal is strongest."

"Signal…?" Jack echoed in confusion.

"You see… this message can only be played if it's activated at a certain spot in the dimension you are currently in. That spot is the barriers between our worlds are the most weakest…" The male mammal continued.

"Did he just say… 'dimension'!?" Lily questioned in disbelief.

"I-I… believe so…" Arnold nodded, shaken while Jack just stares and listens silently.

The female spoke next, with emotion in her voice that seems to be hard for her to control. "We also know that… by the time you've found the device and the location for it to work… you'll probably be all grown up… oh, how I wish we could have been there to watch…"

The male next to her put a comforting arm around her while she sobs slightly, making Jack feel a great deal of sadness within himself.

"You probably have many questions by now… though we can only record so much so we'll tell you as much as we can, Edwin." The male said.

"Edwin..." Jack repeated.

"Wow... that really is your name, Jack..." Lily remarked.

"My name is Robert Conroy and I'm your Father, Edwin." The male mammal revealed. He looked to the female that was presumably his wife. "This your mother, Tannis Conroy."

The female known as 'Tannis' waved at Jack fondly, compelling him to wave back even though he knew she couldn't see him.

"You come from the planet Earth." Jack's biological father continued. "Your mother and I are scientists, studying the possibilities of parallel dimensions and just recently, for us anyway… we not only discovered that they existed but we created a piece of technology that could potentially let us explore them."

"Ooh… that's never a good idea…" Arnold voiced.

"Movies?" Lily guessed.

"Yeah… and when it comes to other worlds they all say the same thing; don't try to go there." Arnold stated.

The screen changed to show the trio an image of a doorframe made out of metal and with pieces of tech and wires attached to it.

"Whoa…" The warthog marveled.

"Guess that must be there dimensional doorway." Jack observed.

"Must be." Lily agreed before the image changes back to Robert and Tannis.

"We were in the middle of testing it when… something went wrong…" Robert revealed, solemnly.

"The doorway… it became almost like a black hole… sucked almost everything in… including _you_." Jack's biological mother added, tearfully.

"What!?" Jack reacted.

"We couldn't afford a sitter that day… we didn't think anything would happen so… we brought you along and then you…" Robert began before he rubbed in-between his eyes, presumably to get rid of the tears. "To stop the doorway from increasing in size… we had to close it behind you… and we couldn't open the it again without creating chaos for all humankind."

"Humankind?" Jack echoed.

"At least we know what you are now…" Lily admitted.

"However, we were able to send this chip you have through to the dimension you arrived it by opening the doorway just a little, any larger and it would have become a massive black hole…" Robert explained.

"Oh Edwin… we're so sorry…" Tannis said, sadly. "We wish we could find a way to bring you back… we miss you so much, sweetie! And we love you! Never forget that."

"Don't worry honey." Robert comforted his wife. "If he is playing this message then it means he's alive and well, wherever he is…"

"I know… I just wish I could hold him again…!" Tannis cried as she buried her face in her husband's chest and cried while he comforted her.

"There, there… it's alright… but hurry, we don't have much time…" Robert reminded her.

Tannis sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Right…" she said before looking at Edwin again. "Edwin… you don't ever have to forgive us for what we've done… but know that you were born of a great love and we will _always_ be with you…

"Farewell my son, I hope we meet again… if not in this life… then hopefully in a better one." His father told him.

"Goodbye…" Tannis said, with a sad smile before the screen went dark.

Silence and darkness filled the room as Jack turns away from the screen with wide but sad looking eyes as he let the information he had just learned sink into his head. He now had the answers he so desperately sought and now they were replaced with a great amount of sadness that made his heart ache.

His friends look at him sympathetically and were about to try and comfort him when they both looked towards the computer and froze up in shock and fear.

"Jack…" Lily spoke up, slowly.

"What?" The human responded without turning to her.

"I think we should leave now…" The jaguar advised him.

"Ditto…" Arnold added, nervously.

"And _why_?" Jack asked, expectantly.

Lily turns him around to look at the computer again and he quickly sees that the computer they put the chip into was sparking and crackling with electricity, causing them all to back up in alarm.

"That's why." Lily answered.

"What's happening?" Jack remarked, surprised.

"I don't know… but I don't think we wanna be here any longer!" Arnold stated, scared.

"Agreed, let's go!" Lily declared as she and Arnold turn and start running.

"But…" Jack began before Lily quickly comes back and pulls him out of his seat before he could say anything while electricity continued to emit from the computer.

* * *

Running like the wind, the trio made their way out of the room, down the stairs and out the front door of the asylum until they stopped in front of the building, right before they hear a small explosion and see smoke coming from one of the windows on the upper floor.

"Wow… that was a close one…" Jack panted. "Everyone ok?"

The jaguar nodded. "Yeah…" Lily said before she then turned to Arnold. "Arnold?"

"Computer… blow up… we almost died…!" Arnold panted.

"He's fine." Lily said, rolling his eyes. "I'm sorry about the video Jack…"

"Yeah… but at least it can't get any worse…" Jack voiced before they hear police sirens approaching. Before they knew it, police cars drove down the bridge and screeched to a stop right in front of them, their headlights suddenly start shining on them and all the occupants of the cars quickly got out and aimed their tranq guns at them.

"Freeze!"

"Do not move!"

"ZPD! Put your paws up! All of you!"

The three teenagers quickly put their arms up into the air with panicked looks on their faces.

"Ok… _now_ it couldn't get any worse." Jack corrected himself before a familiar long eared cop stepped forward to get a better look at them.

"Jack?" The human's adopted mother asked, surprised upon seeing him.

"You were saying?" Lily flat asked Jack before he lowered his head and groaned in dismay.


End file.
